AI Hardware Engineer.
Knoxville.
$153,000
median salary, 7% below the national average
$116,000 to $185,000. Last updated April 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Here is what AI Hardware Engineers actually make in Knoxville: $116,000 at the 25th percentile, $153,000 at the median, and $185,000 at the 75th. That is 7% below the national average. Knoxville benefits from the presence of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Tennessee, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. The number on your offer letter will depend on what you bring and how you ask.
Salary range
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $138,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$99,000
to $122,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$130,000
to $161,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$168,000
to $199,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$191,000
to $237,000
Salary trend
+9% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $68,000 to the total package.
Base
$153,000
Equity
$41,000
Bonus
$18,000
Signing
$9,000
Estimated total: $221,000
AI Hardware Engineer salary by company
Total compensation estimates include base, equity, bonus, and signing. Ranges reflect mid to senior level. Derived from public H-1B LCA filings, SEC proxy statements, and aggregated self-reported data.
How Knoxville compares
Knoxville, TN
$153,000
Cost of living: 11% below average
National Average
$165,000
Knoxville is $12,000 below
AI Hardware Engineer salary by city
Salary by role in Knoxville
What you should know
If you are interviewing for AI Hardware Engineer roles in Knoxville, here is what you are walking into. Knoxville benefits from the presence of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Tennessee, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. The national lab drives strong demand for research scientists, engineers, and data analysts. No state income tax and affordable living make it an attractive value proposition. Expertise in designing accelerators for neural network inference and training is the primary driver. Engineers with experience in ASIC design, FPGA optimization for ML workloads, or GPU architecture command top salaries. Knowledge of quantization, sparsity, and hardware-software co-design for AI workloads adds significant premium.
Junior AI hardware engineers start at $110,000 to $130,000. Mid-level engineers designing accelerator blocks reach $150,000 to $180,000. Senior hardware architects earn $185,000 to $230,000. Principal engineers and hardware leads at companies like NVIDIA or Google TPU teams can exceed $350,000 in total compensation. In Knoxville, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 11% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity at AI chip startups can be substantial, adding $50,000 to $200,000+ in annual value for early employees. Signing bonuses of $30,000 to $60,000 are common. Large semiconductor companies offer RSUs and annual bonuses of 15% to 25% of base salary. And on the tax side: tennessee has no state income tax on wages. Knoxville has no city income tax. This zero income tax environment combined with very affordable housing creates excellent purchasing power. When someone quotes you $153,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight Oak Ridge National Lab and DOE experience. National lab affiliations and security clearances command significant premiums in the Knoxville area. The range for AI Hardware Engineers in Knoxville runs from $116,000 to $185,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: SEC filings, H-1B LCA (DOL), BLS OES, 50+ job posting platforms. COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified April 8, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A NLP Engineer in Knoxville earns $154,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Knoxville is Distinguished Engineer at $305,000
Common questions.
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