Hiring a civil engineer in Knoxville, TN

Do Knoxville residents in architecture and engineering work earn more than employers in the Knoxville, TN area pay?

Knoxville residents working in architecture and engineering occupations earn a median of $88,269 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $84,895 as the median of the 24 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Knoxville, TN area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 4%, with the residents figure the higher of the two.

Both sides of that figure describe the whole architecture and engineering group, not this one role. In the Knoxville, TN area the group covers 24 occupations BLS publishes a wage for, from drafters, all other at $34,620 to nuclear engineers at $179,660 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with civil engineers at $96,320 inside it.

That comparison is between two different measures, not a pay gap. The two weight the same occupation group differently: the Census figure is the midpoint across the people who actually hold those jobs, so a group carrying a few very well paid occupations is pulled toward them, while the BLS figure is the midpoint across the 24 published occupation wages, which counts each of those occupations once whatever its headcount. Census also counts where people live and BLS counts where the jobs are, and the two cover different populations, Census the civilian employed population 16 and over, BLS wage-and-salary jobs only. Read the number against other cities, where the same definitional difference applies on both sides, rather than as a shortfall.

The two sit within 10% of each other, so residents of Knoxville and employers across the metro are priced about the same in this field, and pay alone is unlikely to be what wins or loses this hire.

Is the talent actually in Knoxville?

This is a job zone four: considerable preparation needed occupation. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not. O*NET OnLine, SOC 17-2051.

That matters here, because 33.7% of Knoxville adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. That is a workable pool, but the search will reach beyond the city line. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501, residents of Knoxville aged 25 and over.

The average Knoxville commute runs 20.4 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 11.1% of Knoxville workers already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that. Census ACS 5-year 2023, place-level commuting characteristics for Knoxville.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Knox County, architectural, engineering and related services employs 3,063 and turns over 5.3% a quarter, with 233 hires against 179 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $7,900 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 5413.

That figure covers every occupation in the industry, not this role alone, so read it as the local churn rate rather than as a number about civil engineers. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a low-churn market, where people do not move often and passive candidates are the whole game.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's $96,320 median in the Knoxville, TN area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would bill roughly $19,264 to $28,896 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Questions employers ask about hiring a civil engineer in Knoxville

What does it cost to hire a civil engineer in Knoxville?

Tier I to Tier VI, $6,240 to $54,340 per search, set by the seniority of the role and never by salary or location. A contingency firm billing 20 to 30% of this role's $96,320 median wage in the Knoxville, TN area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would charge roughly $19,264 to $28,896 on the first year salary alone.

What should an offer for a civil engineer in Knoxville look like?

Employers in the Knoxville, TN area pay civil engineers a median of $96,320, with the middle half of the market between $76,230 and $127,540 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A band set below $76,230 competes for the bottom quarter of that market.

Do Knoxville residents in architecture and engineering work earn more than employers in the Knoxville, TN area pay?

Knoxville residents working in architecture and engineering occupations earn a median of $88,269 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $84,895 as the median of the 24 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Knoxville, TN area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 4%. Both figures cover the whole occupation group rather than this one role, and one counts where people live while the other counts where the jobs are, so the percentage is not a pay gap.

Is the talent for this role already in Knoxville?

This is a job zone 4 occupation, which usually calls for a bachelor's degree, and 33.7% of Knoxville adults hold one or higher (Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501). That is a workable pool, though the search will reach beyond the city line.

Related

• Hiring Civil Engineers: the role, the pay, the process
• Recruiting services in Knoxville
• Every Tennessee city we cover

Knoxville is the 3rd largest of 3 Tennessee cities in this dataset.