Average Salaries in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA
Explore salaries across 350 occupations in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $57.7K, -12.3% 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: 350 occupations and 111,910 total jobs in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA.
How the metro compares
Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA pays modestly below the national average. That can be partly offset by a lower cost of living compared with higher-paying markets.
Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Family Medicine Physicians. 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 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA
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 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | $352.6K | 150 |
| Chief Executives | $189.4K | 100 |
| Dentists, General | $173.8K | 90 |
| Optometrists | $150.4K | 50 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $138.6K | 250 |
| Marketing Managers | $136.2K | 360 |
| Pharmacists | $133.3K | 370 |
| Industrial Production Managers | $133.2K | 380 |
| Sales Managers | $133K | 270 |
| Human Resources Managers | $132.7K | 150 |
Largest occupations in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 4,170 | $26.9K |
| Retail Salespersons | 3,620 | $31.2K |
| Cashiers | 3,090 | $27.4K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 2,910 | $35.8K |
| Registered Nurses | 2,660 | $76.7K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 2,610 | $35.3K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2,130 | $36.1K |
| General And Operations Managers | 2,030 | $97.5K |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers And Fabricators | 1,960 | $39.5K |
| Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,880 | $54.7K |
What Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA 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 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Textile Winding, Twisting, And Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 15.00 | $47.8K |
| Forging Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic | 12.23 | $41K |
| Extruding And Forming Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Synthetic And Glass Fibers | 9.65 | $71.6K |
| Molders, Shapers, And Casters, Except Metal And Plastic | 6.27 | $47.7K |
| Electrical And Electronics Repairers, Commercial And Industrial Equipment | 4.99 | $65.9K |
| Extruding, Forming, Pressing, And Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 4.33 | $43.5K |
| Pipelayers | 3.74 | $43K |
| Couriers And Messengers | 3.45 | $35.5K |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | 3.24 | $62.3K |
| Crushing, Grinding, And Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 3.21 | $44.7K |
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 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA
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.