Average Salaries in Johnson City, TN
Explore salaries across 288 occupations in Johnson City, TN. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $57.1K, -13.2% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 288 occupations and 74,740 total jobs in Johnson City, TN.
How the metro compares
Johnson City, TN pays modestly below the national average. That can be partly offset by a lower cost of living compared with higher-paying markets.
Johnson City, TN is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Obstetricians And Gynecologists. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Johnson City, TN
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in Johnson City, TN
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Obstetricians And Gynecologists | $284.6K | 30 |
| Physicians, All Other | $280.3K | 320 |
| Chief Executives | $195.5K | 100 |
| Dentists, General | $182.7K | 50 |
| Financial Managers | $133.2K | 300 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $133.1K | 80 |
| Sales Managers | $129.5K | 190 |
| Pharmacists | $128.6K | 290 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $128.5K | 160 |
| Administrative Services Managers | $123.2K | 120 |
Largest occupations in Johnson City, TN
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 2,900 | $26.3K |
| Registered Nurses | 2,740 | $77.7K |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,330 | $29.8K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,940 | $36.6K |
| Cashiers | 1,920 | $27.2K |
| Medical Secretaries And Administrative Assistants | 1,580 | $36.6K |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,510 | $36.4K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 1,460 | $22.1K |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Office And Administrative Support Workers | 1,420 | $59.4K |
| Nursing Assistants | 1,390 | $37.3K |
What Johnson City, TN specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Johnson City, TN than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Johnson City, TN
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Entertainment Attendants And Related Workers, All Other | 24.91 | $24.6K |
| Transportation Workers, All Other | 11.30 | $40.3K |
| Life, Physical, And Social Science Technicians, All Other | 8.83 | $38.4K |
| Bill And Account Collectors | 5.67 | $36.5K |
| Credit Counselors | 5.28 | $37K |
| Meter Readers, Utilities | 5.06 | $39.1K |
| Medical Transcriptionists | 4.40 | $39.4K |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 4.08 | $73.3K |
| Probation Officers And Correctional Treatment Specialists | 3.82 | $45.6K |
| Paving, Surfacing, And Tamping Equipment Operators | 3.69 | $35.7K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Johnson City, TN
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.