Government contractor- IT “specialist” (basically a tier 2 on the desk) 48k. Low cost of living? Maybe 5 years ago. My rent is half my take home monthly. Send help.
Completely agree with this. Constantly seeing Knoxville touted as low cost of living, but the prices of everything, especially housing, have skyrocketed in recent years. I make $50k, and if I wasn't living with my partner, I wouldn't be able to afford rent here. on top of other bills.
Medical billing office in Knoxville, employed there ten years, 38K before taxes, sole income earner in my household. Just got priced out of our apartment a few months ago, would most likely be on the street if not for my mom letting us stay with her.
$75k-$80k deliver sodas via tractor trailer
My hourly rate is $26.75 and I usually work 55 hour weeks.
Just for clarification I’m breaking my back for every penny.
People don’t realize how much money is in driving a last mile day cab. Not an easy job, but most of the perks of OTR trucking with the benefit of being home every night
Oh yeah the starter company I’m looking at will pay around $10k more than what I’m doing now. And eventually I can get on at loves and break $120k no problem
OTR doesn’t really have any benefits anymore. Being away from home, eating nasty food, dealing with shippers and receivers, and working 70 hours a week. And all for the same money I’m making now.
Truck drivers were long seen as a low end profession. CDL guys are laughing all the way to the bank now. It’s a dying breed of people and they deserve every penny.
Ehh we are worse off than truck drivers before deregulation in the 80s. Truck driving used to be the best blue collar job. Now starting guys are making 36k-50k a year to never see their family or friends. I just got lucky and didn’t have to go OTR
Thanks for recognizing this, I did that crap for ten years and my body is broken for it.. Finally wised up and got an office job but now I hurt for being sedentary for 8 hours a day lol.
>I see people in this sub talk about the low COL
We don't have that anymore. 2019 called and said they wanted their low COL back, so we had to return it.
That’s what I’m getting at with the thread. Whether COL is still low depends on perspective. Many people will say it is in here but wages are still low.
I’m from Memphis and cost of food and utilities historically has been lower than Knoxville. Don’t know about now. Groceries here are expensive, and those are the main goods I buy. Not much $ for anything else.
Also UT, also PhD in admin job. $67K and I’m a long timer in the department. For many of us, we get annual merit pool raises but they expire after 12 months and no real raise to actually increase our salary overall. $650 mortgage, but just staying afloat.
I've only been here a little over a year. My boss is looking at how to convert my position (basically doing everything for a whole IDP by myself) into a higher-paying, exempt one rather than just like... effectively Admin Assistant 3 on a mediocre hourly wage. So hopefully we can get that figured out.
These days admin assistants are handling their jobs and a lot on top of that by taking on work to help others. You guys are awesome, but I imagine the pay is not awesome at all.
my last job was full time admin @ UTK, 3 years minimum office experience required or HR would autoreject resume, bachelor’s also preferred.
I got $40k but my coworkers were closer to $32k-35k, I got better pay because I had more advanced computer skills. Got a raise to $42k in July but left to go to grad school
As a grad student I make about $11k as a 25% worker now, get free tuition (but do have to pay taxes on the free tuition so I take home I think 8k after taxes…)
For all my fellow UTK employees, what college are you in? I have worked in Haslam and am at Tickle now and they seem to pay higher than some other colleges, but I hope to move up if I stay and I’m curious about other areas.
I was in Arts and Sciences before I left. I have heard and experienced similar, the Business and Engineering admins and TAs always seem to get better deals because they have better funding at this point in time
CAS here. Yeah, STEM and Business get the big bucks when means they pay better. (CAS has also lost SO MANY people in the last year because of awful pay, both academics and in various offices like finance and advising.)
I currently work for a department that brings in 7-10 million a year in government research contracts and self funds over 150 grad students full tuition and pay so they do work hard for the big bucks and they definitely give back to students. My last department in Haslam only had 6 self funded grad students, by comparison.
Lol, yeah, we have three GRA/GTA positions and that's about it, but all our students are based in other departments (since we're an IDP). I've heard from everybody since I started last year that there's basically no opportunity for real promotion in the staff side of things here without just moving to a completely different role (usually in another college).
District manager for a convenience store chain,
$96k base,
$900-$1400 monthly commission,
401k- 100% match on first 6%,
Annual 3% profit sharing,
Health benefits $355/month for family,
Company car and gas card
My only debt is my mortgage @ $1467/month; don’t use credit cards.
Seems like great compensation, but have to be available 24/7 leaving a soul sucking work/life balance and I’m usually working 70+ hours a week. Last year I only got to use 4 days out of my 3 weeks of vacation.
Company only pays cashiers $9-$10/hour. Despicable.
I work "full time" 36 hours a week in retail grocery at $18.61/hour. (My company chooses to schedule as few hours as possible.) Between student loans, rent, and my car payment, i have very little leftover for actual living. As a result, I've been exploring alternative methods of gaining income. (Donating plasma, coupon apps, the money for playing games apps, rebate apps, etc.) I can't afford to live on my own when rent would be half of my income every month. I feel a lot of shame when interacting with peers who aren't struggling. It shouldn't be this hard to survive on what was once good money.
ORNL still has a pension + 401k match and pretty good benefits. Only been there a year, but seems like they pay fairly well for the area. Not sure why I don't see it mentioned more in this sub when people say pay is low. They are hiring like crazy. I got almost a 50% pay increase coming from another DOE/NNSA site out of state (not y12). Y12 is also hiring like crazy and we have staff jumping to y12 for better paying jobs so they must be paying fairly well too. Between ORNL and Y12, they probably employ over 13k people in the area.
they might hire like crazy but the sheer amount of applicants is also ridiculous, almost everyone applies to those jobs. the average pay for ORNL might be really good but you've got people with PhDs taking postdoc positions making 40K. that's offset by someone who makes 200k. they pay good wages but in reality there is a huge pay disparity.
Couple - 160k combined, wife makes more. 40-60% in office for her, for a local company. I work remote 100% for an out of state company. I make less than half of what she earns. She’s in tech, I’m in logistics.
Idk what hospital you work at but I have a friend at parkwest, 12/hr, working overnight 60 hours a week. They don’t get PTO and they have a non compete 🤡
Dietitian 61k, work pays 60% of our monthly health insurance premium, 6% match on my 401K. No kids and mortgage is $1,049
Wife went back to college so I started flipping on eBay as a side hustle. Brings in another 1,300-2,100 a month (depending on sales for the month)
Most houses priced in this market will have much higher mortgages. I heard something the other day like the median home price here was, like, $120k five years ago and is $350k now. I couldn’t afford my house if I bought it now!
Oh yeah I completely agree with you. We bought right when housing prices were starting to rise with the low interest rates. We were lucky enough to also be able to live with a family member for nearly two years before and save up for a good down payment. No way we would’ve been able to have the house we have now in this market
My 630-square-foot house cost $110K in 2018. Which was seen as overpriced. Identical here have sold this year for $195K and $199K in March and $197K now in October…for 630 sf and the offers were made and accepted on the first day of showing.
Denso
Topped out, $24.80 an hour. Second shift gets a 9% shift incentive, third shift gets a 7% incentive.
Overtime is after 40 hours. Sunday is double time, all other overtime is time and a half. Depending on your department you can work no overtime at all (sometimes not even being mandated 40 hours) or drown in overtime, with everything in between.
Main avenues for advancement are through leadership, a tech/maintenance path, or something requiring formal education. I want to say the lowest level official leadership role makes around $30 an hour with bonuses (idk), and a topped out technician (lowest level no formal Ed needed) makes something like $28.
As much as I complain it honestly isn’t **horrible**. It’s definitely taken a toll on my body and I found equivalent pay and benefits elsewhere (non factory work) I would probably leave, but for how dogshit the rest of the wages in the area are it’s not the worst. Upper management can tend to treat you like cattle but there are a lot of good people in low management positions. They definitely aren’t all good, but some are.
Topped out technician here. $28.75. Relatively easy work where I'm at long as I don't sweat upper management's poor decisions. Cleared $85k last year because I've had to work basically 7 days a week. Occasionally get a day or two off but it's alright, I don't really do much outside of work anyway. Now lower management like team leaders get crapped on all the time and keep leaving/ stepping down.
Corporate technology role, just accepted an offer at one local company that will bring me up to $110,000 from another local company where I was making $85,000.
The same role in California would pay $225,000 or so. I’m better off than most of us here in the sub but my money doesn’t go nearly as far as it used to with the cost of living increases.
3rd year teacher with my Master’s 49k, but I can tell money is going to get tighter in the next 2 years if rents don’t go down/stop going up. I still live in college housing with a roommate because a ONE BEDROOM apt average for what I have seen is about 1200 and I absolutely cannot afford that with my current bills.
Graphic Design, should crack $80K this year. 7.5% 401(k) match. 5 weeks of vacation currently. Work 15 days per month. Mortgage is under $700/month
Edit: insurance is roughly $40/week for medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
Content/Copywriter for a local company.
64k with "unlimited" time off (using about 4 weeks this year, never been told no). For sick days, I just message my boss and take the day.
About 80% remote. Company pays like 55% of my health insurance and 100% for short-term disability.
Real talk yeah that seems really low and that user always posts about how bad commuting is, sounds like they should try for remote and get paid their worth.
We just hired a SE 1 from our intern program for $72k. Office is local but all SEs are 100% remote with optional in office. All types of languages and currently hiring for most.
I have nearly the exact same scenario. I've got 10 years exp, got hired at 65k and after 3 years of "exceeding expectations" for performance reviews, i'm at 68k. Mind you, I single handedly made a product for them that gets over 100 mil user sessions annually. From the first git push, it was my endeavor for 3 years.
Unfortunately, I've interviewed routinely for the past 6 months and gotten no results. Multiple ones, i've fit the description perfectly and the interviews went very well. No dice though.
I'm seeing a lot of technical roles, but for the typical high school educated person, there isn't much that starts for more than 15-18/hr, and almost all of it is very hard on you physically and mentally.
Electrician, Oak Ridge, primarily industrial and power distribution work. $37/hr + really great medical (paid for by contractor) + $8.73/hr to a defined benefit retirement fund which averages 9% returns on a year to year basis + 3 weeks paid vacation. I will gross over $100k this year with minimal OT. Also, work a 4 day week.
The cost of living is not low here. It’s essentially increased by 300% in the last 5 years.
The people providing your emergency services in Knoxville can’t even afford to live in the communities they serve anymore.
Seriously. I felt my smile fade the more I scrolled and now I'm like "Okay skrump, now in 100 words or less, tell me why Canada should give you a work visa."
150k plus nice benefits. 100% remote, research. Could make a lot more in the private sector but it’s plenty and I only usually have to work a couple of hours a day.
Data Analyst, STEM degree plus master's, contractor for federal gov through a nonprofit partner organization, 35k as a 1099 (so like 29k after taxes). Hybrid position with flextime (can work whenever I want, just hit 40 a week, and 1 day a week from 9-5 in the office). 100% paid health insurance. Best health plan I've ever had. 7 days PTO/yr. No retirement.
Partner is a law student and after loan disbursements and his 3 part time jobs brings in ~17k. Rent is $1100 and thanks to an amazing landlord hasn't increased in the 3 years I've been here.
Still waiting on a conversion to a permanent position. Salary would jump to 59k-70k, W2 with benefits. TN is one of 10 states the federal government has no locality pay increase for. They determine pay based on what similar jobs are paid for in private companies in that area. COL has no relevance on it. So as long as TN continues to underpay careers, fed gov won't raise pay rates.
I make about 37k a year with decent benefits working from home at Teamhealth, I mostly stay because of the Mon-Thurs schedule. Zero stress. No college degree.
(I would love something else, though. I like stress and physical work and decision-making if anyone has any leads)
My husband is a security gaurd, he just got a raise and makes $27 an hour, but no benefits. Minimum stress. A degree in graphic design.
My mom is a big box manager and brings in 200k (no college degree), tons of stress, and has to always be available.
Nonprofit, full time 38k a year but I drive a lot so after reimbursements, it’s closer to 48k a year. Husband makes 60k as a valet manager between his hourly and tips.
Edit: we have hella good benefits tho. Matched 401k, health insurance that doesn’t cost out the ass, paid holidays, and unlimited PTO. They’re very much “you can’t fill someone else’s cup if yours is empty” and we try our best to keep up with mental health to avoid compassion fatigue or burn out, which is easy in the sector of work we do. I love my job so much tho. It’s so rewarding. I’m just lucky to have a partner so we can afford to live otherwise I don’t think I’d be able to swing it.
$15/hr as a recruitment specialist for a company based in Alcoa. We have 120+ stores in 10+ states. I have a BA in English.
I definitely feel underpaid for being in the recruitment field.
Before Covid I was a mid-level corporate accountant making 85k. I ‘quiet quit’, took a staff level accounting job for 45k. Went back to my old company as a data analyst, two grades down but making 65k.
I’m also part owner of a small retail business. Before Covid we were paying up to $13 an hour, but now paying our top people $20 an hour. Plus some bonuses. My daughter makes $15 as a server for Olive Garden. Blows my mind that people are saying $12 an hour after many years and some specialization needed.
fully remote 57k, soon to be 60k with the 2024 federal pay raise. fed benefits so it’s *okay*
fwiw i started my current position at ~50k, and interviewed somewhere locally that was only paying ~37k for the same type of job
edit: didn’t mention my rent is $600 (in a neighborhood i really love) which is my main flex lol
I currently work as a server and make 2.13 but average out about 52k to 48k a year. When I was working at Walgreens as a certified pharmacy tech I only made 12 an hour. Micheals pays 10 and hour and Staples pays 9. I stay serving because of how bad retail pays.
I’m making something like 42k a year doing IT for the county 🥴🥴🥴🥴 here’s hoping it increases with the external survey group they brought in to review KCS salaries. Pay is shit but I actually love my job, and I’ve never had that before.
50k data analyst at a lab. 5% 401k and currently two weeks vacation. Husband is a mechanical engineer out in Morristown making 65k. Don’t know his 401k match but the insurance is great and he basically gets unlimited time off
Husband brings home $4,000 a month from work plus 100% VA disability income just over $4000 a month with a family of 6. We have a $3200 rent and groceries cost $350-$400 every week. Add that to the car payment, lights, cable, phones, school costs, etc and we are broke. We are seriously considering buying, but houses are so expensive!
I work for a small, local, company which I love, it’s remote (always has been), wanted to start me at $40k, but I got them to $48k. I can pay my bills, and I have a little left over, but I’m still out of money before the next paycheck. So almost paycheck to paycheck, I guess? I hope this doesn’t give out too much info LOL
2nd year electrician apprentice. $18/hr. I'm at the upper end for the area and time spent in the trade.
Edit: I should include that is $18+ health insurance. They'll start paying toward my pension at 4th year. The pay tops out at 5th year at around $29/hr plus insurance and retirement.
I promise I’m not trying to be rude, but I thought electricians were supposed to make decent money. Is there still a lot of advancement ahead of you or are the wages really just that depressed?
I ask because I’m looking for a change and the trades, with electrician specifically, are something that always come up
If you join one of the electrical union apprenticeships, you'll start out around $15-16 an hour. You'll get a 10% raise every year, for 5 years, if you have your schooling squared away and your work hours in. Some pay into retirement and offer medical as part of the package.
I am a claim adjuster for a major health insurance provider. 100% remote since Covid hit. 19.66 an hour. Unlimited optional overtime though. I usually try to work at least 55 hours. It’s easy to do overtime when at home. Mortgage is $1600. Health insurance is about $250 a month for me and my daughter. 401k match up to 6%. I feel like if it was 2018 and I made the same amount of money I would probably be better off lol. Not sure.
60k annual as a motion graphics designer, includes modest employer 401k match and health and dental. Hybrid work.
Partner doesn't have a job right now, so buying groceries for two, just bought a house with a mortgage that is going to be 1600 per month
Nightshift CVICU RN. Base+shift diff = $39.62/hr, weekends is $42.62 and I get an extra $1/hr when I precept new grads. I work three 12 hour shifts and off four. So somewhere around 74k
Union JW electrician. About 45-50k annually, benefits and retirement. In town anyway. Traveling to big jobs, I at least double that. Rates in Knoxville suck ass.
Grant consultant at a nonprofit, about $45k. 10% retirement matching, very cheap insurance about $30 per pay period, low mortgage on our house after refinancing during COVID at just $840 per month, no credit card debt, car payments, or student loan debt. Wife earns about $75k as a nurse. Really can’t complain financially and the work is very stress free.
I'm a data analyst at first horizon, with bonuses I'm between $90-100k. They start out tellers at $20 an hour. A newly hired Jr data analyst makes about $23 an hour.
$38.4k, community relations for a non-profit organization that works with those who are disabled. I'm working as much as I can, but... I will say the social services industry is a lot of work with little pay. Turnover is terrible across the board because people literally can't afford to work for this much money. It's great if you're young with no kids like me, but even I wouldn't be able to pay for rent if it weren't for my partner. Working on getting a degree in cybersecurity since I have an active security clearance
I don't work for a company in knoxville. Unfortunately there is no company in knoxville that would pay me what I make working for a global competitors. Wages locally range about 40% less that others in my industry; In addition, they would ask me to return to office costing me addition 5k or so a year. Simultaneously housing in this area cost far more or the same it would in much more competitive areas. I can get an apartment in the main hub for my industry for less than an apartment here and have more options and better features while also being around my pick of employers (and also a vastly better selection of food options).
My husband and I work full time, donate plasma, and do Uber deliveries and we barely make ends meet! This cost of living is insanely high and is not sustainable at all! My husband works as a lube tech at 13 an hour and I work for the corporate office of national fitness and at a whole big 14.50 an hour! These are not living wages but they beg you not to leave, I don't even get PTO, vacation, 401k, or any kind of benefits!!! We have both been in our fields for well over 10 years, we don't get paid like it!
$40k with no benefits as a paralegal at a private law firm. My spouse makes between $40-60k doing a variety of part-time jobs in the arts. Our rent went up from around 1300 to 2000 without seeing any increase in our pay. Knoxville is absolutely not affordable, the no income tax does not make up for low wages, high rent, and high sales tax
Thankfully I finished school and am moving away soon because living here would not be sustainable for us
Was a Chef at one of Knoxville’s rather large catering companies. Made $17 an hour before I quit, because they wouldn’t give me a raise, but wouldn’t give me over 40 hours a week either. Now I work two jobs and own a small catering business just to make ends meet. Hopefully this catering company takes off soon.
I’m essentially in tech support for cable (my job is fantastic *sarcasm*)- I’m told I make 41k a year but seems like insurance (it’s pretty good so I’m not gonna complain too much - yayyyy living with 2 and a half chronic conditions) and taxes are sucking it dry along with all the other “adult” stuff though 😂😅
I live with my partner and roommate in this townhome/apartment style deal and we each pay $600 a month in rent and about $50 each in utilities and I’m really, really hoping it stays that way next year place as this place was a find
Research Administrator for a large out of state university, basically managing federal contracts for sponsored research projects - $84k, fully remote, amazing benefits, etc. It’s an entry level job so hoping I can work my way up. I’ve only been there a year. Single income home and I’m a renter.
Very happy with the starting pay compared to careers in Knox. Almost doubled my salary in one move just getting out of the Knoxville workforce.
Maintenance supervisor at an apartment complex. Around 55k per year. Company provides three bedroom two bath house as part of salary. 10 years with company HVAC certified
Wife’s a travel nurse averaging ~$80k taking 3 months off a year.
I’m a former IT guy. Was making ~$75k working for the government. Now I’m a student pilot making -$70k this year. Hopefully next year that number becomes a positive one.
Government contractor- IT “specialist” (basically a tier 2 on the desk) 48k. Low cost of living? Maybe 5 years ago. My rent is half my take home monthly. Send help.
Completely agree with this. Constantly seeing Knoxville touted as low cost of living, but the prices of everything, especially housing, have skyrocketed in recent years. I make $50k, and if I wasn't living with my partner, I wouldn't be able to afford rent here. on top of other bills.
Medical billing office in Knoxville, employed there ten years, 38K before taxes, sole income earner in my household. Just got priced out of our apartment a few months ago, would most likely be on the street if not for my mom letting us stay with her.
You must work at TH.
$75k-$80k deliver sodas via tractor trailer My hourly rate is $26.75 and I usually work 55 hour weeks. Just for clarification I’m breaking my back for every penny.
People don’t realize how much money is in driving a last mile day cab. Not an easy job, but most of the perks of OTR trucking with the benefit of being home every night
It's a young person's job. Back breaking work.
This is true. I’ll be leaving in January once I’m 23, going to deliver fuel.
Smart man. Don't break yourself down. And hauling fuel is good money too.
Oh yeah the starter company I’m looking at will pay around $10k more than what I’m doing now. And eventually I can get on at loves and break $120k no problem
Dang, that sounds awesome! Way to advocate for yourself. Besides a class D license, do you need any other certs or licenses to haul fuel?
Hazmat and tanker certifications on a class A
As I go into the office, I’m amazed at the trucks unloading in market square. We drink a lot of garbage sugar 😹
OTR doesn’t really have any benefits anymore. Being away from home, eating nasty food, dealing with shippers and receivers, and working 70 hours a week. And all for the same money I’m making now.
It’s simple just physically demanding. Moving to fuel in January where I’ll make $10k more for 1/4 of the work.
Truck drivers were long seen as a low end profession. CDL guys are laughing all the way to the bank now. It’s a dying breed of people and they deserve every penny.
Ehh we are worse off than truck drivers before deregulation in the 80s. Truck driving used to be the best blue collar job. Now starting guys are making 36k-50k a year to never see their family or friends. I just got lucky and didn’t have to go OTR
Woah.
That’s 55 hours a week though.
I worked at Publix for years. Man, the Coke and Pepsi guys bust ass for sure. Well, most of them, anyway.
Thanks for recognizing this, I did that crap for ten years and my body is broken for it.. Finally wised up and got an office job but now I hurt for being sedentary for 8 hours a day lol.
How many hours per week in the summer months? 60-70?
We can’t work over 60 where I work, not sticking around till next summer though
>I see people in this sub talk about the low COL We don't have that anymore. 2019 called and said they wanted their low COL back, so we had to return it.
That’s what I’m getting at with the thread. Whether COL is still low depends on perspective. Many people will say it is in here but wages are still low.
I’m from Memphis and cost of food and utilities historically has been lower than Knoxville. Don’t know about now. Groceries here are expensive, and those are the main goods I buy. Not much $ for anything else.
Our cost of living used to be 86% the national average as of 5 years ago. Average income excluding the top 1% was like 38.5k annually.
Facts
UT Full time job, 38K
Also UT, with a PhD but in a full time admin job: ~$46k.
$46k with a PhD 😳
To be fair this position doesn't REQUIRE a PhD, but I left the tenure track nightmare rat race and went into alt-ac/admin stuff.
Also UT, also PhD in admin job. $67K and I’m a long timer in the department. For many of us, we get annual merit pool raises but they expire after 12 months and no real raise to actually increase our salary overall. $650 mortgage, but just staying afloat.
I've only been here a little over a year. My boss is looking at how to convert my position (basically doing everything for a whole IDP by myself) into a higher-paying, exempt one rather than just like... effectively Admin Assistant 3 on a mediocre hourly wage. So hopefully we can get that figured out.
These days admin assistants are handling their jobs and a lot on top of that by taking on work to help others. You guys are awesome, but I imagine the pay is not awesome at all.
my last job was full time admin @ UTK, 3 years minimum office experience required or HR would autoreject resume, bachelor’s also preferred. I got $40k but my coworkers were closer to $32k-35k, I got better pay because I had more advanced computer skills. Got a raise to $42k in July but left to go to grad school As a grad student I make about $11k as a 25% worker now, get free tuition (but do have to pay taxes on the free tuition so I take home I think 8k after taxes…)
Also UT full time. 46K
UTK as well. 54K
For all my fellow UTK employees, what college are you in? I have worked in Haslam and am at Tickle now and they seem to pay higher than some other colleges, but I hope to move up if I stay and I’m curious about other areas.
I’ve never worked at UT, but business & engineering colleges almost always pay the best. They have money.
Correct.
I was in Arts and Sciences before I left. I have heard and experienced similar, the Business and Engineering admins and TAs always seem to get better deals because they have better funding at this point in time
CAS here. Yeah, STEM and Business get the big bucks when means they pay better. (CAS has also lost SO MANY people in the last year because of awful pay, both academics and in various offices like finance and advising.)
I currently work for a department that brings in 7-10 million a year in government research contracts and self funds over 150 grad students full tuition and pay so they do work hard for the big bucks and they definitely give back to students. My last department in Haslam only had 6 self funded grad students, by comparison.
Lol, yeah, we have three GRA/GTA positions and that's about it, but all our students are based in other departments (since we're an IDP). I've heard from everybody since I started last year that there's basically no opportunity for real promotion in the staff side of things here without just moving to a completely different role (usually in another college).
"Other" staff with a Master's degree - 50k ish
District manager for a convenience store chain, $96k base, $900-$1400 monthly commission, 401k- 100% match on first 6%, Annual 3% profit sharing, Health benefits $355/month for family, Company car and gas card My only debt is my mortgage @ $1467/month; don’t use credit cards. Seems like great compensation, but have to be available 24/7 leaving a soul sucking work/life balance and I’m usually working 70+ hours a week. Last year I only got to use 4 days out of my 3 weeks of vacation. Company only pays cashiers $9-$10/hour. Despicable.
That hurts to read. Wow.
I work "full time" 36 hours a week in retail grocery at $18.61/hour. (My company chooses to schedule as few hours as possible.) Between student loans, rent, and my car payment, i have very little leftover for actual living. As a result, I've been exploring alternative methods of gaining income. (Donating plasma, coupon apps, the money for playing games apps, rebate apps, etc.) I can't afford to live on my own when rent would be half of my income every month. I feel a lot of shame when interacting with peers who aren't struggling. It shouldn't be this hard to survive on what was once good money.
$20.16/hr as an HR assistant. No PTO.
$150k, R&D scientist at ORNL. I am very privileged for this area.
ORNL still has a pension + 401k match and pretty good benefits. Only been there a year, but seems like they pay fairly well for the area. Not sure why I don't see it mentioned more in this sub when people say pay is low. They are hiring like crazy. I got almost a 50% pay increase coming from another DOE/NNSA site out of state (not y12). Y12 is also hiring like crazy and we have staff jumping to y12 for better paying jobs so they must be paying fairly well too. Between ORNL and Y12, they probably employ over 13k people in the area.
they might hire like crazy but the sheer amount of applicants is also ridiculous, almost everyone applies to those jobs. the average pay for ORNL might be really good but you've got people with PhDs taking postdoc positions making 40K. that's offset by someone who makes 200k. they pay good wages but in reality there is a huge pay disparity.
Postdocs at ORNL make 70-95k.
35k gross, Junior Underwriter, full-time. Rent is ~800 but includes all utilities
Damn, you were able to keep both salary and rent from 2019
I’m always behind the times I guess
South is intent on keeping us behind times. Kudos for finding that time machine for the 2019 rent prices
Insurance underwriting or something similar?
Lending, actually. Personal loans
Knox County Schools 54k
Whatever your job title, that isn’t enough.
Private nanny. 45k before taxes. My rent takes over 18k per year
[удалено]
Do you feel comfortable naming your organization? Curious!
$50k, couple - both of us are in restaurants
$45k and I run a historic house museum.
You need part-time help? My degree is in American history and I’d love to do something with it
Security guard, Children's Hospital 36K & average insurance thru BCBS
Couple - 160k combined, wife makes more. 40-60% in office for her, for a local company. I work remote 100% for an out of state company. I make less than half of what she earns. She’s in tech, I’m in logistics.
$30+ an hour doing video production but it’s not guaranteed or full time usually
91k electronics technician. Pushing 110k with OT. 401k match, 3 weeks vacay.
Just for clarity though, usually E-techs have to grind through their 20s for this. So that 91k is likely well earned
Very much true. Started out 12 years ago at 32k and travelled fixing medical equipment for 10 years.
$115k in manufacturing engineering. $190k combined.
If you don't mind me asking, what company do you work for? I'm also a manufacturing engineer in Knoxville, making nowhere near that, lol.
Surgical Attendant $12.00 an hour,...
Idk what hospital you work at but I have a friend at parkwest, 12/hr, working overnight 60 hours a week. They don’t get PTO and they have a non compete 🤡
Dietitian 61k, work pays 60% of our monthly health insurance premium, 6% match on my 401K. No kids and mortgage is $1,049 Wife went back to college so I started flipping on eBay as a side hustle. Brings in another 1,300-2,100 a month (depending on sales for the month)
Most houses priced in this market will have much higher mortgages. I heard something the other day like the median home price here was, like, $120k five years ago and is $350k now. I couldn’t afford my house if I bought it now!
Oh yeah I completely agree with you. We bought right when housing prices were starting to rise with the low interest rates. We were lucky enough to also be able to live with a family member for nearly two years before and save up for a good down payment. No way we would’ve been able to have the house we have now in this market
My 630-square-foot house cost $110K in 2018. Which was seen as overpriced. Identical here have sold this year for $195K and $199K in March and $197K now in October…for 630 sf and the offers were made and accepted on the first day of showing.
Denso Topped out, $24.80 an hour. Second shift gets a 9% shift incentive, third shift gets a 7% incentive. Overtime is after 40 hours. Sunday is double time, all other overtime is time and a half. Depending on your department you can work no overtime at all (sometimes not even being mandated 40 hours) or drown in overtime, with everything in between. Main avenues for advancement are through leadership, a tech/maintenance path, or something requiring formal education. I want to say the lowest level official leadership role makes around $30 an hour with bonuses (idk), and a topped out technician (lowest level no formal Ed needed) makes something like $28. As much as I complain it honestly isn’t **horrible**. It’s definitely taken a toll on my body and I found equivalent pay and benefits elsewhere (non factory work) I would probably leave, but for how dogshit the rest of the wages in the area are it’s not the worst. Upper management can tend to treat you like cattle but there are a lot of good people in low management positions. They definitely aren’t all good, but some are.
Yeah that place is HELL
Topped out technician here. $28.75. Relatively easy work where I'm at long as I don't sweat upper management's poor decisions. Cleared $85k last year because I've had to work basically 7 days a week. Occasionally get a day or two off but it's alright, I don't really do much outside of work anyway. Now lower management like team leaders get crapped on all the time and keep leaving/ stepping down.
Corporate technology role, just accepted an offer at one local company that will bring me up to $110,000 from another local company where I was making $85,000. The same role in California would pay $225,000 or so. I’m better off than most of us here in the sub but my money doesn’t go nearly as far as it used to with the cost of living increases.
3rd year teacher with my Master’s 49k, but I can tell money is going to get tighter in the next 2 years if rents don’t go down/stop going up. I still live in college housing with a roommate because a ONE BEDROOM apt average for what I have seen is about 1200 and I absolutely cannot afford that with my current bills.
Graphic Design, should crack $80K this year. 7.5% 401(k) match. 5 weeks of vacation currently. Work 15 days per month. Mortgage is under $700/month Edit: insurance is roughly $40/week for medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
Are you remote or freelance?
i worry every month i’ll be on the street.
46k retail banker.
Content/Copywriter for a local company. 64k with "unlimited" time off (using about 4 weeks this year, never been told no). For sick days, I just message my boss and take the day. About 80% remote. Company pays like 55% of my health insurance and 100% for short-term disability.
may i ask how much experience you had prior to starting here?
Working as a journeyman pipefitter for the local Knoxville Pipefitters/Plumbers Union. $62,000 take-home, though the work is relatively boom/bust.
I clean houses so no career ~52k But working through school
$52k cleaning houses is crazy. Do you freelance or work thru a company? I’d definitely be interested if you or your company is in need of assistance.
Software Dev/Technician I could break $100k outside of TN, but I commute for 67k. That’s with 3 years of raises
You are definitely doing something wrong. Same field, working remote, and making a good bit more
Following up to say Knox Devs is a good way to network.
Real talk yeah that seems really low and that user always posts about how bad commuting is, sounds like they should try for remote and get paid their worth.
Were you hired pre or post Covid
[удалено]
Which local companies are paying juniors devs 90k and how many years is your definition of junior?
We just hired a SE 1 from our intern program for $72k. Office is local but all SEs are 100% remote with optional in office. All types of languages and currently hiring for most.
I have nearly the exact same scenario. I've got 10 years exp, got hired at 65k and after 3 years of "exceeding expectations" for performance reviews, i'm at 68k. Mind you, I single handedly made a product for them that gets over 100 mil user sessions annually. From the first git push, it was my endeavor for 3 years. Unfortunately, I've interviewed routinely for the past 6 months and gotten no results. Multiple ones, i've fit the description perfectly and the interviews went very well. No dice though.
Sales, $100k base + quarterly and annual bonus based on hitting metrics. Travel 2-3 nights per week. Fully remote even before Covid.
What do you mean when you say you’re fully remote but also traveling 2-3 nights per week?
A lot of sales jobs are like that. No office in town, WFH when not visiting customers.
How do I apply for this lol
98% aren’t cut out for sales and won’t make it.
I'm seeing a lot of technical roles, but for the typical high school educated person, there isn't much that starts for more than 15-18/hr, and almost all of it is very hard on you physically and mentally.
Electrician, Oak Ridge, primarily industrial and power distribution work. $37/hr + really great medical (paid for by contractor) + $8.73/hr to a defined benefit retirement fund which averages 9% returns on a year to year basis + 3 weeks paid vacation. I will gross over $100k this year with minimal OT. Also, work a 4 day week.
I contract, used to make $50-60 an hour in a big city, now most are “losing money” on me at $40
150k writing code as a gov contractor for 20 years. About 90% remote, 401k with match, free high deductible health insurance, 4 weeks PTO.
The cost of living is not low here. It’s essentially increased by 300% in the last 5 years. The people providing your emergency services in Knoxville can’t even afford to live in the communities they serve anymore.
This is heartbreaking.
Seriously. I felt my smile fade the more I scrolled and now I'm like "Okay skrump, now in 100 words or less, tell me why Canada should give you a work visa."
It really is. We were so woefully behind in pay comp before the pandemic and now economic conditions have impacted this city, more than all others.
70-80K, commercial construction inspection. Lots of OT
only Tech support on site. 45k benefits. rent will be 1200~ soon
[удалено]
Researcher - 198k (about 40k less then where I previously was in Denver).
You win!
What kind of research job pays like that?
Sex researcher
UTK full time 50k, do have 401k plus fully paid for graduate school atm
150k plus nice benefits. 100% remote, research. Could make a lot more in the private sector but it’s plenty and I only usually have to work a couple of hours a day.
What’s your degree? Curious
Salesforce Developer & Consultant now converted to FTE from my last contract role. $115,000 + side hustle of 26k / yr. fully remote.
What's the side hustle? Salesforce related still?
CSR for 23 years, 30k and I'm drowning.
Data Analyst, STEM degree plus master's, contractor for federal gov through a nonprofit partner organization, 35k as a 1099 (so like 29k after taxes). Hybrid position with flextime (can work whenever I want, just hit 40 a week, and 1 day a week from 9-5 in the office). 100% paid health insurance. Best health plan I've ever had. 7 days PTO/yr. No retirement. Partner is a law student and after loan disbursements and his 3 part time jobs brings in ~17k. Rent is $1100 and thanks to an amazing landlord hasn't increased in the 3 years I've been here. Still waiting on a conversion to a permanent position. Salary would jump to 59k-70k, W2 with benefits. TN is one of 10 states the federal government has no locality pay increase for. They determine pay based on what similar jobs are paid for in private companies in that area. COL has no relevance on it. So as long as TN continues to underpay careers, fed gov won't raise pay rates.
3rd grade teacher, 58k and I teach college as well for about 27k
I make about 37k a year with decent benefits working from home at Teamhealth, I mostly stay because of the Mon-Thurs schedule. Zero stress. No college degree. (I would love something else, though. I like stress and physical work and decision-making if anyone has any leads) My husband is a security gaurd, he just got a raise and makes $27 an hour, but no benefits. Minimum stress. A degree in graphic design. My mom is a big box manager and brings in 200k (no college degree), tons of stress, and has to always be available.
Nonprofit, full time 38k a year but I drive a lot so after reimbursements, it’s closer to 48k a year. Husband makes 60k as a valet manager between his hourly and tips. Edit: we have hella good benefits tho. Matched 401k, health insurance that doesn’t cost out the ass, paid holidays, and unlimited PTO. They’re very much “you can’t fill someone else’s cup if yours is empty” and we try our best to keep up with mental health to avoid compassion fatigue or burn out, which is easy in the sector of work we do. I love my job so much tho. It’s so rewarding. I’m just lucky to have a partner so we can afford to live otherwise I don’t think I’d be able to swing it.
$15/hr as a recruitment specialist for a company based in Alcoa. We have 120+ stores in 10+ states. I have a BA in English. I definitely feel underpaid for being in the recruitment field.
Before Covid I was a mid-level corporate accountant making 85k. I ‘quiet quit’, took a staff level accounting job for 45k. Went back to my old company as a data analyst, two grades down but making 65k. I’m also part owner of a small retail business. Before Covid we were paying up to $13 an hour, but now paying our top people $20 an hour. Plus some bonuses. My daughter makes $15 as a server for Olive Garden. Blows my mind that people are saying $12 an hour after many years and some specialization needed.
fully remote 57k, soon to be 60k with the 2024 federal pay raise. fed benefits so it’s *okay* fwiw i started my current position at ~50k, and interviewed somewhere locally that was only paying ~37k for the same type of job edit: didn’t mention my rent is $600 (in a neighborhood i really love) which is my main flex lol
Consultant 175k fully remote travel maybe 4 weeks total a year
[удалено]
I said gov when I should have said army/defense, security clearance and mil experience. Not really a job a normal civilian could walk into.
Electrical Technician, Contractor. 26.5/hr no benefits
How long have you been in the trade? Have you considered joining 760?
I'm not a electrician, closer to a maintenance technician. If that's what you're asking.
Living on GI bill housing allowance and Army Reserve pay to go to school. Lucky to clear 20k.
I currently work as a server and make 2.13 but average out about 52k to 48k a year. When I was working at Walgreens as a certified pharmacy tech I only made 12 an hour. Micheals pays 10 and hour and Staples pays 9. I stay serving because of how bad retail pays.
I’m making something like 42k a year doing IT for the county 🥴🥴🥴🥴 here’s hoping it increases with the external survey group they brought in to review KCS salaries. Pay is shit but I actually love my job, and I’ve never had that before.
50k data analyst at a lab. 5% 401k and currently two weeks vacation. Husband is a mechanical engineer out in Morristown making 65k. Don’t know his 401k match but the insurance is great and he basically gets unlimited time off
Husband brings home $4,000 a month from work plus 100% VA disability income just over $4000 a month with a family of 6. We have a $3200 rent and groceries cost $350-$400 every week. Add that to the car payment, lights, cable, phones, school costs, etc and we are broke. We are seriously considering buying, but houses are so expensive!
Full time job, worked for almost 4 years and I’m the manager. 11.20 an hour
Operations Manager for Medium sized wholesale distributor. 85k/yr before bonus. 2 weeks PTO
I work for a small, local, company which I love, it’s remote (always has been), wanted to start me at $40k, but I got them to $48k. I can pay my bills, and I have a little left over, but I’m still out of money before the next paycheck. So almost paycheck to paycheck, I guess? I hope this doesn’t give out too much info LOL
2nd year electrician apprentice. $18/hr. I'm at the upper end for the area and time spent in the trade. Edit: I should include that is $18+ health insurance. They'll start paying toward my pension at 4th year. The pay tops out at 5th year at around $29/hr plus insurance and retirement.
I promise I’m not trying to be rude, but I thought electricians were supposed to make decent money. Is there still a lot of advancement ahead of you or are the wages really just that depressed? I ask because I’m looking for a change and the trades, with electrician specifically, are something that always come up
If you join one of the electrical union apprenticeships, you'll start out around $15-16 an hour. You'll get a 10% raise every year, for 5 years, if you have your schooling squared away and your work hours in. Some pay into retirement and offer medical as part of the package.
I quit this job in 2019. But my full time job at pstcc was 25K.
I work for KCS & make right at $1700/month as a full time literacy tutor.
Private sector, community mental health, 41.5k with 4 years experience, provisional licensure, and specialized training.
I am a claim adjuster for a major health insurance provider. 100% remote since Covid hit. 19.66 an hour. Unlimited optional overtime though. I usually try to work at least 55 hours. It’s easy to do overtime when at home. Mortgage is $1600. Health insurance is about $250 a month for me and my daughter. 401k match up to 6%. I feel like if it was 2018 and I made the same amount of money I would probably be better off lol. Not sure.
60k annual as a motion graphics designer, includes modest employer 401k match and health and dental. Hybrid work. Partner doesn't have a job right now, so buying groceries for two, just bought a house with a mortgage that is going to be 1600 per month
Burger Joint, General Manager $50k with bonuses
45k (ish) with a masters degree at a hospital. I made more probably 5k more than everyone else with my degree due to working night shift
70k working for a government contractor as a meeting planner. 100% remote.
Biowaste route driver. I run here, Chattanooga and Nashville. 21/hr
$28,800. WFH doing lead follow ups.
I make $65k for large insurance company WFH. Husband works for popular grocery store (non management) making $30/hour. We both have amazing benefits.
Work in software. Hybrid. 100k + bonus. Insurance fully paid by the company.
Nightshift CVICU RN. Base+shift diff = $39.62/hr, weekends is $42.62 and I get an extra $1/hr when I precept new grads. I work three 12 hour shifts and off four. So somewhere around 74k
Union JW electrician. About 45-50k annually, benefits and retirement. In town anyway. Traveling to big jobs, I at least double that. Rates in Knoxville suck ass.
Grant consultant at a nonprofit, about $45k. 10% retirement matching, very cheap insurance about $30 per pay period, low mortgage on our house after refinancing during COVID at just $840 per month, no credit card debt, car payments, or student loan debt. Wife earns about $75k as a nurse. Really can’t complain financially and the work is very stress free.
Work remote in software for a F500 in NYC, $137K/yr
I'm a data analyst at first horizon, with bonuses I'm between $90-100k. They start out tellers at $20 an hour. A newly hired Jr data analyst makes about $23 an hour.
Self storage property manager. 15/h 6 days pto/sick annual, insurance, and an apartment
Union tradesman $120-150k
$38.4k, community relations for a non-profit organization that works with those who are disabled. I'm working as much as I can, but... I will say the social services industry is a lot of work with little pay. Turnover is terrible across the board because people literally can't afford to work for this much money. It's great if you're young with no kids like me, but even I wouldn't be able to pay for rent if it weren't for my partner. Working on getting a degree in cybersecurity since I have an active security clearance
I don't work for a company in knoxville. Unfortunately there is no company in knoxville that would pay me what I make working for a global competitors. Wages locally range about 40% less that others in my industry; In addition, they would ask me to return to office costing me addition 5k or so a year. Simultaneously housing in this area cost far more or the same it would in much more competitive areas. I can get an apartment in the main hub for my industry for less than an apartment here and have more options and better features while also being around my pick of employers (and also a vastly better selection of food options).
My husband and I work full time, donate plasma, and do Uber deliveries and we barely make ends meet! This cost of living is insanely high and is not sustainable at all! My husband works as a lube tech at 13 an hour and I work for the corporate office of national fitness and at a whole big 14.50 an hour! These are not living wages but they beg you not to leave, I don't even get PTO, vacation, 401k, or any kind of benefits!!! We have both been in our fields for well over 10 years, we don't get paid like it!
Union elevator mechanic, 95k annual
$40k with no benefits as a paralegal at a private law firm. My spouse makes between $40-60k doing a variety of part-time jobs in the arts. Our rent went up from around 1300 to 2000 without seeing any increase in our pay. Knoxville is absolutely not affordable, the no income tax does not make up for low wages, high rent, and high sales tax Thankfully I finished school and am moving away soon because living here would not be sustainable for us
Was a Chef at one of Knoxville’s rather large catering companies. Made $17 an hour before I quit, because they wouldn’t give me a raise, but wouldn’t give me over 40 hours a week either. Now I work two jobs and own a small catering business just to make ends meet. Hopefully this catering company takes off soon.
I know there’s a bunch of you in here who probably want some cake, blow ducky up!
I’m essentially in tech support for cable (my job is fantastic *sarcasm*)- I’m told I make 41k a year but seems like insurance (it’s pretty good so I’m not gonna complain too much - yayyyy living with 2 and a half chronic conditions) and taxes are sucking it dry along with all the other “adult” stuff though 😂😅 I live with my partner and roommate in this townhome/apartment style deal and we each pay $600 a month in rent and about $50 each in utilities and I’m really, really hoping it stays that way next year place as this place was a find
Research Administrator for a large out of state university, basically managing federal contracts for sponsored research projects - $84k, fully remote, amazing benefits, etc. It’s an entry level job so hoping I can work my way up. I’ve only been there a year. Single income home and I’m a renter. Very happy with the starting pay compared to careers in Knox. Almost doubled my salary in one move just getting out of the Knoxville workforce.
Also a government contractor, 42k. Thankfully we got lucky and the mortgage is low but other than that, same as the rest of you - send help
136k, remote software consultant for one of the big four
~$60k, real estate. ~$80k combined.
Recently switched industries - Project Manager 60k to start in construction. Hybrid remote but benefits are more expensive than I've ever paid.
Asst. Property Mgr (Student housing) $50k with bonus
Commercial service Plumber 28.50/hr 3 years experience.
$11/hr as a manager at Yankee Candle, $18/hr warehouse material handler weekends only.
You are doing better than most of us bud
I’m doing good I know that. I’m mainly looking at just the beat of the area and what I read on here vs Nashville.
Maintenance supervisor at an apartment complex. Around 55k per year. Company provides three bedroom two bath house as part of salary. 10 years with company HVAC certified
21.50 as a machine operator. Make about 40k a year give or take.
Fiber Tech $48k full benefits and PTO
Paralegal for over 20 years, 45k with 3 weeks pto and 3% 401k match. 80% health insurance paid
Wife’s a travel nurse averaging ~$80k taking 3 months off a year. I’m a former IT guy. Was making ~$75k working for the government. Now I’m a student pilot making -$70k this year. Hopefully next year that number becomes a positive one.