Control and monitor the systems that generate electricity at a power plant. Median salary in Knoxville: $89K/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.
Power Plant Operators in Knoxville earn approximately 8% lower than the US national median for this role — a $8,000 discount on annual base salary. Knoxville's lower wage level partially reflects the area's cost-of-living index of 85 (US avg = 100).
Adjusted for Knoxville's cost-of-living index (85), the median Power Plant Operator salary buys the equivalent of $104,706 in a US-average-cost city. That's $7,706 more purchasing power than the national median — a meaningful real-wage advantage.
Tennessee has no state income tax, which is worth roughly $8,277 per year at this salary level compared to a California Power Plant Operator on the same gross pay. A Knoxville Power Plant Operator would need to earn $98,126 in California to net the same take-home.
Based on BLS 2022–2032 Employment Projections and WEF Future of Jobs Report 2026. At current growth rates, median salary reaches $89K by 2030.
Enter your email for free access. We'll send salary market updates — unsubscribe anytime.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
The median Power Plant Operator salary in Knoxville, TN is $89,000 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 Power Plant Operators in Knoxville with 0–2 years of experience typically earn between $66,000 and $89,000 annually. Mid-career professionals with 3–7 years command $89,000 to $110,000, while senior-level practitioners with 8+ years of experience regularly earn $110,000 to $127,000 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 Power Plant Operators an immediate 3–5% take-home pay advantage over workers in states like California (9.3%) or New York (6.85%).
High school + certification. 0% of these roles offer some remote flexibility.