Quick answer: The Knoxville metro employs about 2,390 software developers (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through job postings in your target market for the stack they ask for.
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Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Software development is not licensed and no certification is required. Employers typically weight a portfolio of working code and the ability to pass technical interviews; vendor certifications are optional signals rather than requirements.
See the Tennessee licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with job postings in your target market for the stack they ask for.
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
This page lists 1 school within 2 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 1 of them carries a score.
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Software Developers in the Knoxville area earn a median $121,750 per year, below the national median of $135,980 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Metric | Knoxville metro | Tennessee | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $121,750 | $122,430 | $135,980 |
| 10th percentile | $68,880 | $75,280 | $82,460 |
| 25th percentile | $85,080 | $90,750 | $105,210 |
| 75th percentile | $144,990 | $138,890 | $171,980 |
| 90th percentile | $161,870 | $166,380 | $214,670 |
| Employment | 2,390 | 19,030 | 1,687,890 |
| Location quotient | 0.52 | - | 1.00 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Knoxville, TN metropolitan statistical area.
The Knoxville median of $121,750 is below the national median of $135,980, and below the Tennessee statewide median of $122,430 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 0.52 means software developers are less concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Developer employment is broad but uneven - metros with large technology, finance and healthcare employers carry several times the per-capita depth of the national average.
| Metro area | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville | $126,610 | 7,750 |
| Memphis | $125,580 | 2,270 |
| Chattanooga | $106,750 | 990 |
| Kingsport | $115,310 | 430 |
| Clarksville | $96,650 | 310 |
| Johnson City | $103,320 | 300 |
| Jackson | $96,540 | 130 |
| Cleveland | $102,600 | 110 |
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
The median annual wage for software developers in the Knoxville, TN metro area is $121,750, below the national median of $135,980 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The Knoxville, TN metro area employs about 2,390 software developers (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Software development is not licensed and no certification is required. Employers typically weight a portfolio of working code and the ability to pass technical interviews; vendor certifications are optional signals rather than requirements. Confirm current requirements with job postings in your target market for the stack they ask for.
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies job postings in your target market for the stack they ask for.
The Knoxville metro median is $121,750 against a statewide median of $122,430 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
