MRI TECH
Covenant Health · Knoxville, TN
Pay for MRI Technologists in the Knoxville area centers on $34.16 per hour, or about $71,050 a year. The lower quarter earns under $30.38 and the upper quarter over $38.24. That ranks 155th of 163 U.S. metro areas for MRI Technologist pay, and 156th of 160 once local prices are factored in. The CMS hospital directory lists 6 hospitals in Knoxville. Your free pay report adds named employers and the roles open near Knoxville.
2 more open roles from employers in Knoxville. Each employer’s range arrives with your free pay report.
Covenant Health · Knoxville, TN
East Tennessee Children's Hospital · Knoxville, TN
The metro median is 8% below the Tennessee statewide median of $37.31 per hour. Nationally the median is $42.40 per hour. BLS counts about 130 magnetic resonance imaging technologists employed in the Knoxville metro area, 0.3 per 1,000 jobs. Employment is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole (location quotient 1.12).
| Level | Per hour | Per year | Compared with U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% | $29.84 | $62,070 | 30% below U.S. median |
| Lower quartile | $30.38 | $63,190 | 28% below U.S. median |
| Median | $34.16 | $71,050 | 19% below U.S. median |
| Upper quartile | $38.24 | $79,540 | 10% below U.S. median |
| Top 10% | $42.04 | $87,440 | 1% below U.S. median |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024, Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists (SOC 29-2035), all industries. This is what employers report paying, not an offer for a specific role.
Named employers near Knoxville, what they pay and the roles open now. Free for candidates, email only.
Get my free pay reportSource: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024. Prices are for the metro area, not for a single neighborhood.
Gross pay before taxes and benefits, from BLS pay levels for the Knoxville metro area. For take-home pay use the take-home pay calculator.
| Item | Federal rate |
|---|---|
| Lodging per night | $119 |
| Meals and incidentals per day | $74 |
| Per week (7 nights, 7 days) | $1,351 |
| 13-week assignment | $17,563 |
Travel MRI Technologist assignments commonly pay housing and meals stipends. The GSA per diem is the federal benchmark for what those stipends can be tax-free. Whether a stipend is tax-free for you depends on keeping a valid tax home, so confirm with your recruiter and a tax professional. Compare with your offer in the travel pay calculator.
Source: U.S. General Services Administration per diem rates, fiscal year 2026 (average across months).
Nearest open roles with published pay. Your free report adds roles in Knoxville as they open.
CommonSpirit Health · Chattanooga, TN
Most are never shown on this page. Tell us your role and get the full list, with the pay on every one, in your inbox within 24 hours.
CMS lists 6 hospitals in Knoxville, 1 of the 3 rated ones with 4 or 5 stars. Hospitals are a major employer of MRI Technologists.
| Hospital | Type | Ownership | CMS rating | Emergency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Health System, Inc Knoxville, TN | Acute care | Nonprofit | 4 of 5 | Yes |
| Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center Knoxville, TN | Acute care | Nonprofit | 3 of 5 | Yes |
| Parkwest Medical Center Knoxville, TN | Acute care | Nonprofit | 3 of 5 | Yes |
| East Tennessee Childrens Hospital Knoxville, TN | Children's | Nonprofit | Not rated | Yes |
| East Tennessee Behavioral Health Knoxville, TN | Psychiatric | For-profit | Not rated | No |
| Knoxville Center For Behavioral Medicine Knoxville, TN | Psychiatric | Nonprofit | Not rated | No |
Source: CMS Hospital General Information, public data. A directory of hospitals, not a list of our clients.
| City | Distance | Median pay | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland, TN | 75 mi | $37.31/hr | 50,232 |
| Asheville, NC | 83 mi | $38.38/hr | 94,992 |
| Kingsport, TN | 87 mi | $37.31/hr | 57,109 |
| Johnson City, TN | 91 mi | $37.31/hr | 73,635 |
| Chattanooga, TN | 96 mi | $36.91/hr | 191,496 |
| Greenville, SC | 119 mi | $38.74/hr | 74,371 |
MRI Technologist jobs in Tennessee · MRI Technologist jobs nationwide
ARRT certification in MRI, or ARRT radiography with MRI training. Credentials are issued state by state, so confirm what Tennessee requires for your role with the Tennessee licensing board and with your recruiter before you commit to a start date.
Tennessee does not tax wage income at the state level, so take-home pay is higher than the same gross pay in a state that does.
Knoxville city guide: hospitals, employers and licensing
MRI Technologists in the Knoxville metro area have a median pay of $34.16 per hour, about $71,050 a year. The middle half earn between $30.38 and $38.24 per hour (BLS, May 2024).
Knoxville ranks 156th of 160 metro areas for MRI Technologist pay after adjusting for local prices, and 155th of 163 before adjusting. Overall prices run 7% below the U.S. average.
CMS lists 6 hospitals in Knoxville, led by University Health System, Inc. Ask for the free report to see current openings and pay.
ARRT certification in MRI, or ARRT radiography with MRI training. Credentials are issued state by state, so confirm what Tennessee requires for your role with the Tennessee licensing board and with your recruiter before you commit to a start date. Confirm with the board before you accept a role.
The federal per diem benchmark in Knoxville is $119 a night for lodging and $74 a day for meals and incidentals, about $1,351 a week (GSA, fiscal year 2026). Your actual stipend depends on the assignment and your tax home.
Yes. We place healthcare staff in Knoxville and across Tennessee. Tell us your profession and we email the roles open near Knoxville.
Tell us your role and city. Within 24 hours you get an email with three things, by employer name. It costs you nothing, because employers pay us.
The hourly pay at named employers near you, so you see who pays most.
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70+ MRI Technologist roles in Tennessee, sent free by email
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Median posted pay per hour, with the range each employer published. Request your Tennessee list
238 MRI Tech postings with published pay in the US, 175 of them posted in the last 30 days. Month-by-month history by employer comes with your full report.
Each one has pay, shift and start date.