SOC 51-9161 · Knoxville, TN metro

Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators Salary in Knoxville, TN

The average salary for computer numerically controlled tool operators in Knoxville, Tennessee is $52,130 a year ($25.06 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $49,040: half of the 260 people in this job in the Knoxville, TN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 4% less than the U.S. average for this job ($54,320).

$52,130average per year

$25.06 / hourMedian $49,040Take-home ≈ $44,066

  • $39K10th
  • $48K25th
  • $49KMedian
  • $61K75th
  • $63K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

260people in this job
-4%vs U.S. average
#4 of 10Tennessee metros
93cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators pay range in Knoxville

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,850 a year or less, while the top 10% make $63,220 or more. The middle half of computer numerically controlled tool operators in Knoxville earn between $48,060 and $60,760.

  • $39K10th
  • $48K25th
  • $49KMedian
  • $61K75th
  • $63K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$52,130$4,344$25.06
Median$49,040$4,087$23.58
Entry level (25th percentile)$48,060$4,005$23.11
Experienced (75th percentile)$60,760$5,063$29.21

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators pay in Knoxville vs. Tennessee and the U.S.

Computer numerically controlled tool operators in Knoxville earn about the same as the Tennessee average ($52,840) and 4% less than the U.S. average ($54,320). At the median the gap is -3% against the U.S. median of $50,690.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Knoxville$52,130$49,040$38,850$63,220260
Tennessee$52,840$49,980$38,000$64,6201,980
United States$54,320$50,690$38,140$73,890169,450

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators salary after taxes in Knoxville

On the average salary of $52,130, a single filer in Knoxville takes home about $44,066 a year, or $3,672 a month and $1,695 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

Tennessee paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Knoxville a good place for computer numerically controlled tool operators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Knoxville area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.6), so the average $52,130 buys what about $56,315 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Knoxville ($47,080). A typical home costs $367,158, or 7.0 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $52,130 is worth in another city

Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators salary in other Tennessee cities

Knoxville ranks 4th of 10 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Memphis pays the most ($58,790).

All Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators salaries in Tennessee

Highest-paying cities for computer numerically controlled tool operators

Seattle, WA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($103,460).

Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators in Knoxville, TN.

Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators salary in Knoxville: questions

How much do computer numerically controlled tool operators make an hour in Knoxville?

$25.06 an hour on average, and $23.58 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level computer numerically controlled tool operators salary in Knoxville?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,850 a year and the 25th percentile is $48,060, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the computer numerically controlled tool operators take-home pay in Knoxville?

About $44,066 a year ($3,672 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $52,130. Tennessee has no state income tax.

Do computer numerically controlled tool operators earn more in Knoxville than elsewhere?

The average here is 4% less than the U.S. average for this job ($54,320).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 51-9161; area Knoxville, TN (28940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.7%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.57, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.57).

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