Commercial Cleaning & FM recruiters serving Knoxville.
Knoxville has 18% more janitors and cleaners per job than the country as a whole, about 7,150 in the metro. BLS counts 179 business locations of janitorial and commercial cleaning companies across the metro. Below: local pay for every role we staff, the state licensing rules that apply and the nearby markets competing for the same people.
Positions we recruit for in Knoxville.
BLS counts about 7,780 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Knoxville metro, the largest group being janitors and cleaners (about 7,150). Relative to the size of the local economy, janitors and cleaners are more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.18). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Cleaning & FM hub.
Cleaning Team Member / Janitor
Knoxville: 7,150 employed · $31,200 median, 102nd-highest of 112 metros
Cleaning Team Lead / Supervisor
Knoxville: 630 employed · $47,400 median, 61st-highest of 111 metros
Site Manager / Account Manager
Knoxville: 990 employed · $125,470 median, 21st-highest of 110 metros
Regional Operations Manager
Knoxville: 8,660 employed · $104,590 median, 47th-highest of 112 metros
Facilities Manager
Knoxville: 360 employed · $120,740 median, 13th-highest of 112 metros
Facilities Coordinator
Knoxville: 4,790 employed · $46,000 median, 74th-highest of 111 metros
Building Engineer
Knoxville: 2,680 employed · $66,830 median, 107th-highest of 112 metros
Healthcare Cleaning Specialist
Data Center / Cleanroom Cleaner
VP of Operations
Knoxville: 510 employed · $198,890 median, 65th-highest of 98 metros
What Commercial Cleaning & FM roles earn in Knoxville.
Janitors and cleaners in Knoxville earn a median $31,200, 15% under the $36,840 national figure, and 102nd of 112 metros. Pay runs $25,230 at the tenth percentile to $43,110 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is first-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers, at $47,400 against $49,100 nationally.
| Role | Knoxville median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleaning Team Member / Janitor · Healthcare Cleaning Specialist · Data Center / Cleanroom CleanerJanitors and Cleaners (37-2011) | $31,200 | $25,230–$43,110 | $36,840 | −15% | 7,150 |
| Cleaning Team Lead / SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers (37-1011) | $47,400 | $27,840–$76,350 | $49,100 | −3% | 630 |
| Site Manager / Account ManagerAdministrative Services Managers (11-3012) | $125,470 | $77,030–$202,810 | $114,130 | +10% | 990 |
| Regional Operations ManagerGeneral and Operations Managers (11-1021) | $104,590 | $51,410–$253,540 | $105,770 | −1% | 8,660 |
| Facilities ManagerFacilities Managers (11-3013) | $120,740 | $71,630–$167,110 | $106,660 | +13% | 360 |
| Facilities CoordinatorSecretaries and Administrative Assistants (43-6014) | $46,000 | $29,730–$64,390 | $47,540 | −3% | 4,790 |
| Building EngineerFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $66,830 | $44,810–$104,520 | $79,920 | −16% | 2,680 |
| VP of OperationsChief Executives (11-1011) | $198,890 | $66,940–$444,320 | $213,990 | −7% | 510 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Knoxville metro. Range is 10th to 90th percentile; management and office roles are metro-wide. A metro ranking counts only the metros where BLS publishes that occupation.
How Knoxville's commercial cleaning & FM market has changed since 2018.
The number of janitorial and commercial cleaning companies in Knoxville rose from 161 in 2018 to 179 in 2023, up 11%, behind the 14% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went down 5%, to about 4,985 people, so more firms are sharing fewer workers. Average annual pay there went from $20,078 to $28,507 (+42%), faster than the 36% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Janitorial and commercial cleaning companies: business locations | 161 | 179 | +11% |
| Janitorial and commercial cleaning companies: employment | 5,226 | 4,985 | −5% |
| Janitorial and commercial cleaning companies: average annual pay | $20,078 | $28,507 | +42% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.
Free Commercial Cleaning & FM hiring resources.
Definitive Guide to Commercial Cleaning & FM · 2026 Commercial Cleaning & FM Salary Guide · 3-Step Interview Guide for Commercial Cleaning & FM
Knoxville runs 18% more commercial cleaning workers per job than the country as a whole — above the national concentration. More per job means more people to reach, and more employers reaching them.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Janitors and Building Cleaners. Metro-wide figures for the base occupation; the wage table above is role-specific and commercial.
How Knoxville's commercial cleaning market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Knoxville ranks 52nd for headcount, 90th for median pay and 12th for concentration for janitors and building cleaners.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | 9,940 | $36,130 | 0.64 | 500 |
| Memphis | 8,070 | $32,580 | 0.93 | 293 |
| Knoxville | 7,150 | $31,200 | 1.18 | 179 |
| Chattanooga | 4,140 | $31,760 | 1.08 | 114 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial cleaning employers in Knoxville, the pool is deep and still growing, so the constraint is competition rather than supply. Move fast on good candidates, because another local firm is probably talking to them too.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Knoxville metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Cleaning & FM licensing in Tennessee.
Tennessee does not license commercial cleaning or janitorial employers: none of the regulatory boards administered by the Department of Commerce and Insurance covers cleaning, janitorial work or building services. Two neighbours on that list are the real traps - Contractors and Home Improvement, which bites once a facilities crew takes on construction or improvement work, and Alarm System Contractors, which bites if the crew installs or services alarms. Pest and pesticide work is chartered by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture instead, and whether its licensing reaches general-use disinfectants applied for hire was not settled from a primary source, so ask that department before selling disinfection as a service. The same state rules apply in Nashville, Memphis and Chattanooga, so candidates licensed there can work in Knoxville without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Knoxville talent.
The closest metro we cover is Chattanooga, about 100 miles away, with roughly 4,140 janitors and cleaners (0.6 times Knoxville's 7,150). Nashville pays the most nearby, a $36,130 median, 16% above Knoxville. That is the number any Knoxville offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Atlanta has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville | – | 7,150 | $31,200 |
| Chattanooga | 101 mi | 4,140 | $31,760 |
| Greenville | 115 mi | 6,250 | $31,180 |
| Atlanta | 155 mi | 30,900 | $35,940 |
| Nashville | 161 mi | 9,940 | $36,130 |
| Huntsville | 173 mi | 2,850 | $33,600 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Knoxville crews.
Not commercial cleaning & FM work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Knoxville in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- LIS Technologies laser uranium enrichment facility$1.38BAnnounced 2026
A new facility on the historic K-25 uranium enrichment site, expected to create more than 200 jobs. One of the largest single nuclear-industrial capital commitments in the region's history.
- DOE Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus (finalist)Undisclosed, federalSite selection ongoing
Tennessee is one of just 5 states selected as a finalist out of 26 applicants for a major Department of Energy nuclear research campus - a signal of the region's growing strategic importance to the nuclear-energy sector.
- Y-12 demolition and cleanup programFederal EM programAlpha-2 completed January 2026; Beta-1 and Old Steam Plant ongoing
DOE completed demolition of the 325,000 sq ft Alpha-2 facility (the largest demolition in Y-12's history, clearing 2.5+ acres) in January 2026, and crews are preparing the 210,000 sq ft Beta-1 facility and the Old Steam Plant for removal. Clears contaminated Manhattan Project/Cold War-era sites for new missions and community reuse.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Knoxville market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial cleaning & FM, and what kills offers in Knoxville.
The 4 credentials that gate the work and the 5 things that most often end a commercial cleaning & FM offer are the same in every market, kept in one place: Commercial Cleaning & FM credentials and offer risks, each linked to the body that issues it. What is local is the licensing rule above and the pay further up this page.
Frequently asked - Commercial Cleaning & FM hiring in Knoxville.
What do janitors and cleaners earn in Knoxville?
BLS puts the Knoxville median for janitors and cleaners at $31,200 a year, 15% below the $36,840 national median. That ranks 102nd of 112 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Most of the market sits between $25,230 and $43,110, a 1.7x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Tennessee, Nashville pays more, at $36,130.
Is it hard to hire janitors and cleaners in Knoxville?
Not by national standards. Janitors and cleaners make up 18% more of the Knoxville workforce than they do nationally, about 7,150 people. The 179 janitorial and commercial cleaning companies here average about 28 employees per location. With 11% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial cleaning & FM roles pay the most in Knoxville?
Of the roles we recruit for, VP of Operations pays the most in Knoxville, a $198,890 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Cleaning Team Lead / Supervisor at $47,400, 76% below it. Cleaning Team Member / Janitor is the lowest-paid field role at $31,200. Relative to national pay, Facilities Manager is the strongest-paying role here (13% above). Building Engineer trails national pay the most (16% below).
How many janitorial and commercial cleaning companies operate in Knoxville?
BLS counted 179 janitorial and commercial cleaning companies in Knoxville in 2023, employing about 4,985 people between them. Up from 161 in 2018, an 11% increase against 14% growth nationally. That averages 28 people per location. They pay an average of $28,507, 12% below the $32,388 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Knoxville for janitors and cleaners?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Chattanooga (101 miles, about 4,140, $31,760 median), Greenville (115 miles, about 6,250, $31,180 median) and Atlanta (155 miles, about 30,900, $35,940 median). Atlanta has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Atlanta pays 15% more, which is where Knoxville employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Knoxville has one of the deeper pools of janitors and cleaners we cover, but the best of them are already working. Let's find the ones ready to move.
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