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School district · Tennessee · LEAID 4702220

Knox County

Knox County's estimated average teacher salary is $66,499; per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget data come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2022).

$66,499
Est. avg teacher salary
$11,040
Per-pupil spending
60,426
Students enrolled
62nd
Pct. in TN
$66,499

Knox County (Tennessee) reports an estimated average teacher salary of $66,499, slightly below the Tennessee average and below the national average, from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 fiscal survey (FY2022). It serves 60,426 students.

  • 62nd percentile for Tennessee
  • 32nd percentile nationally
  • 40% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • +14.2% since FY2019

Avg Teacher Salary

$66,499

Estimated from instructional expenditure / FTE

Per-Pupil Spending

$11,040

Total expenditure / enrollment

Student Enrollment

60,426 students

Salary vs State Average 97.0%

3.0% below Tennessee average

Nationally, Knox County's estimated average out-pays 32% of the 11,460 US school districts with reliable F-33 salary data, placing it in the lower half of districts on this estimate. (A relative position on the F-33 figure, which runs above survey-reported salaries.)

Knox County's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$66,499 Top 68% higher than 32% of 11,460 US districts

$30,000–$40,000: 66 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $40,000–$50,000: 375 US districts (3%). Below this entry. $50,000–$60,000: 1,529 US districts (13%). Below this entry. $60,000–$70,000: 2,648 US districts (23%). This entry sits in this band. $70,000–$80,000: 2,442 US districts (21%). Above this entry. $80,000–$90,000: 1,413 US districts (12%). Above this entry. $90,000–$100,000: 1,023 US districts (9%). Above this entry. $100,000–$110,000: 736 US districts (6%). Above this entry. $110,000–$120,000: 486 US districts (4%). Above this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 301 US districts (3%). Above this entry. $130,000–$140,000: 183 US districts (2%). Above this entry. $140,000–$150,000: 122 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $150,000–$160,000: 68 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $160,000–$170,000: 42 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $170,000–$180,000: 26 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $180,000–$190,000: 0 US districts (0%). Above this entry. Knox County $30,000 $190,000 every reliable-salary US district, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $10K-wide band; taller bars hold more US districts. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2022 · FY2022

What stands out about Knox County

  • With 60,426 students, it is the 66th-largest school district by enrollment among the 13,138 US districts reporting enrollment data.
  • Its total annual revenue of $721M puts it among just 123 US districts operating a budget of this size or larger, out of the 13,138 districts in the NCES CCD F-33 survey, a scale that brings dedicated budget offices, multi-year capital planning, and district-wide procurement contracts that a small district's single-person business office cannot replicate.

What the Numbers Say About Knox County

Knox County is a large urban school district in Tennessee, serving 60,426 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $11,040. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from instructional expenditure variable Z33 divided by teacher FTE, is $66,499, placing the district in the lower-spending tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 4702220 references the FY2022 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Tennessee statewide average of $68,524, teacher pay in Knox County runs slightly below the state benchmark, a 3.0% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $85,759 (22.5% differential). Among enrolling districts in Tennessee, it pays more than 62% of them.

Budget figures show Knox County reporting $667.1M in total expenditure against $721.2M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 40% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $198.8M, special-education teacher pay is $31.2M.

How does Knox County compare?

Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the Tennessee average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.

Knox County $66,499
Shelby County $74,739
Tennessee avg $68,524
National avg $85,759

Knox County pays -11.0% less than Shelby County · per-pupil $11,040 vs $15,292

Estimated from NCES F-33 instructional salary expenditure (FY2022). Service entities excluded; estimates assume a 15:1 ratio.

Data-derived comparison paths

Find comparable Tennessee districts

These are not simply nearby districts: each group is selected from the same NCES FY2022 dataset using a matching salary or per-pupil-investment signal and a comparable enrollment range.

Similar estimated teacher pay

Salary-nearest districts to Knox County, with enrollment kept within a comparable band.

Similar per-pupil investment

Spending-nearest districts to Knox County, with salary and enrollment reliability checks applied.

Revenue & Expenditure

$721.2M
Total Revenue
$667.1M
Total Expenditure
$267.1M
Instruction Salaries
40% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$198.8M
Regular Program
$31.2M
Special Education
$9.8M
Vocational
$1.6M
Other Programs

Other Tennessee Districts

Greene County
$61,259
6,208 students
Germantown
$61,102
6,074 students
Union County
$42,103
5,905 students
Cheatham County
$62,645
5,786 students
Cleveland
$66,649
5,730 students
Maryville
$83,159
5,604 students

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average teacher salary in Knox County?

Knox County's average teacher salary is $66,499, per NCES CCD FY2022 data -- total instructional salary expenditure divided by the district's own reported teacher headcount.

How does Knox County teacher pay compare to the Tennessee average?

Knox County pays 3.0% less than the Tennessee state average of $68,524. The district's average is $66,499.

How does Knox County teacher pay compare to the national average?

Knox County pays 22.5% below the national average of $85,759. The district average is $66,499.

What is the per-pupil spending in Knox County?

NCES FY2022 data puts Knox County's per-student spending at approximately $11,040 annually, covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

How many students are enrolled in Knox County?

Knox County has 60,426 students enrolled according to NCES CCD FY2022 data.

What percentage of Knox County's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 40% of Knox County's total expenditure of $667.1M (NCES FY2022).

Where does this teacher salary data come from?

This data is sourced from two NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) surveys, Fiscal Year 2022: the F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey (instructional expenditure, variable Z33) and the Staff Universe Survey (reported teacher headcount). Salary figures divide the former by the latter, falling back to an enrollment-based estimate only when a district has no reported headcount. These are district-level aggregates, not individual salary records.

Disclaimer & data sources

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher Editorial

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According to the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, PlainTeacher's figures are computed directly, no number is typed in by an editor. Knox County's salary and finance figures are computed directly from its FY2022 F-33 submission, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of FY2022.