Research and write grant proposals to secure funding from foundations and government agencies. Median salary in Knoxville: $53K/year. Data from BLS, O*NET, and H-1B disclosures.
Figures represent annual base salary in Knoxville, Tennessee. Reviewed by SalaryOptics Editorial · How we calculate this →
Analysis derived from the salary, COL, tax, and labor-market figures above — specific to this role and city.
Grant Writers in Knoxville earn approximately 15% lower than the US national median for this role — a $9,000 discount on annual base salary. Knoxville's lower wage level partially reflects the area's cost-of-living index of 85 (US avg = 100).
Tennessee has no state income tax, which is worth roughly $4,929 per year at this salary level compared to a California Grant Writer on the same gross pay. A Knoxville Grant Writer would need to earn $58,434 in California to net the same take-home.
This role is 65% remote-eligible nationally according to job-posting analysis, which significantly expands the job market for Knoxville-based Grant Writers. Many Knoxville professionals in this role are paid on the locality scale of their employer's HQ rather than Knoxville's local rate — verify which scale your offer references before negotiating.
Based on BLS 2022–2032 Employment Projections and WEF Future of Jobs Report 2026. At current growth rates, median salary reaches $53K by 2030.
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The median Grant Writer salary in Knoxville, TN is $53,000 per year as of Q1 2026. This figure represents the midpoint of all reported compensation for this role in the Knoxville–TN metropolitan area, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics, H-1B visa disclosures from the Department of Labor, and O*NET occupational data.
Entry-level Grant Writers in Knoxville with 0–2 years of experience typically earn between $41,000 and $53,000 annually. Mid-career professionals with 3–7 years command $53,000 to $68,000, while senior-level practitioners with 8+ years of experience regularly earn $68,000 to $87,000 or more.
Knoxville has a cost of living index of 85 compared to the US national average of 100. This means your salary goes approximately 15% further in Knoxville than the national average. Crucially, Tennessee has no state income tax — giving Knoxville-based Grant Writers an immediate 3–5% take-home pay advantage over workers in states like California (9.3%) or New York (6.85%).
Bachelor's in English, Communications, or related field. This role is 65% remote-eligible nationally, which can significantly expand the job market for Knoxville-based professionals.