Clergy Salary
Clergies in Knoxville, TN make a median of $57,140 a year, or about $27.47 an hour. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $68K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.57), which stretches that salary to about $61,726 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,471/month, about 37.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $57K get you in Knoxville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Knoxville’s Regional Price Parity (92.57). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About clergies
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What this looks like in Knoxville
Clergy pay in Knoxville tracks closely to the national median, $57K locally vs. $61K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,471/month, which is 36.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.57 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for clergies in metros near Knoxville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $61K | $63K |
| Memphis | $59K | $64K |
| Chattanooga | $59K | $65K |
| Johnson City | $53K | $61K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Knoxville, TN
Entry-level clergies (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $68K or more, a $24K spread from bottom to top.
Clergy pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Clergy salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $81K | +33% | 1,060 |
| California | $78K | +28% | 7,110 |
| Nevada | $74K | +22% | 210 |
| Massachusetts | $72K | +19% | 840 |
| New Jersey | $66K | +8% | 1,460 |
| New Hampshire | $65K | +7% | 100 |
| Vermont | $65K | +7% | 50 |
| District of Columbia | $65K | +7% | 310 |
| Maine | $64K | +6% | 160 |
| New Mexico | $64K | +5% | 270 |
| Colorado | $64K | +5% | 440 |
| Connecticut | $63K | +4% | 900 |
| Delaware | $63K | +4% | 120 |
| Oregon | $63K | +4% | 3,850 |
| Arizona | $62K | +2% | 1,070 |
| Illinois | $62K | +2% | 2,200 |
| Maryland | $62K | +1% | 670 |
| Wyoming | $62K | +1% | 40 |
| Minnesota | $61K | +1% | 1,160 |
| Hawaii | $61K | +0% | 720 |
| Wisconsin | $61K | +0% | 770 |
| North Dakota | $61K | -0% | 120 |
| Iowa | $61K | -0% | 370 |
| Georgia | $61K | -0% | 1,380 |
| South Dakota | $60K | -2% | 140 |
| Rhode Island | $60K | -2% | 230 |
| North Carolina | $60K | -2% | 1,430 |
| Idaho | $60K | -2% | 150 |
| Montana | $60K | -2% | 680 |
| Texas | $59K | -2% | 3,180 |
| Ohio | $59K | -3% | 2,020 |
| Oklahoma | $59K | -3% | 510 |
| Indiana | $59K | -3% | 1,060 |
| Kentucky | $59K | -3% | 410 |
| Missouri | $59K | -3% | 920 |
| New York | $59K | -4% | 7,790 |
| Pennsylvania | $58K | -4% | 2,150 |
| Nebraska | $58K | -5% | 270 |
| Tennessee | $57K | -6% | 710 |
| Florida | $57K | -6% | 3,560 |
| South Carolina | $57K | -7% | 450 |
| Michigan | $56K | -7% | 1,880 |
| Alaska | $56K | -8% | 150 |
| Virginia | $55K | -9% | 1,220 |
| Louisiana | $54K | -11% | 400 |
| Mississippi | $52K | -14% | 250 |
| Kansas | $52K | -14% | 450 |
| Alabama | $50K | -17% | 850 |
| Arkansas | $49K | -19% | 350 |
| West Virginia | $48K | -20% | 290 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track clergy salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Knoxville numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a clergy afford a 2BR apartment alone in Knoxville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 36.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for clergies in Knoxville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new clergies typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,645/month. At HUD’s $1,471/month FMR, rent would take 56% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is clergy a high-paying job in Knoxville?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $57K locally vs. $61K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Knoxville compare to the national average for clergies?
Knoxville pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s -6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do clergies make in Knoxville, TN?
The median is $57,140 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,090, and experienced clergies can clear $67,640. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in Knoxville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,996/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,471/month, which eats 36.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a clergy salary go in Knoxville?
Knoxville has a Regional Price Parity of 92.57 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median clergy salary is worth about $61,726 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do clergies get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.