SOC 33-2011 · Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro

Firefighters Salary in Kingsport, TN

The average salary for firefighters in Kingsport, Tennessee is $43,600 a year ($20.96 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $44,110: half of the 270 people in this job in the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 34% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($65,977).

$43,600average per year

$20.96 / hourMedian $44,110Take-home ≈ $37,213

  • $29K10th
  • $32K25th
  • $44KMedian
  • $48K75th
  • $60K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

270people in this job
-34%vs U.S. metro average
#6 of 9Tennessee metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Firefighters pay range in Kingsport

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,010 a year or less, while the top 10% make $60,020 or more. The middle half of firefighters in Kingsport earn between $32,110 and $47,950.

  • $29K10th
  • $32K25th
  • $44KMedian
  • $48K75th
  • $60K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$43,600$3,633$20.96
Median$44,110$3,676$21.21
Entry level (25th percentile)$32,110$2,676$15.44
Experienced (75th percentile)$47,950$3,996$23.05

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Firefighters salary after taxes in Kingsport

On the average salary of $43,600, a single filer in Kingsport takes home about $37,213 a year, or $3,101 a month and $1,431 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.

The Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in TN$37,213$3,101
Working in VA$35,520$2,960

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

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Is Kingsport a good place for firefighters? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Kingsport area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 86.4), so the average $43,600 buys what about $50,436 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Kingsport ($45,240). A typical home costs $246,242, or 5.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $43,600 is worth in another city

Firefighters salary in other Tennessee cities

Kingsport ranks 6th of 9 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Memphis pays the most ($57,560).

All Firefighters salaries in Tennessee

Highest-paying cities for firefighters

Bakersfield, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($199,490).

Firefighters salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Firefighters in Kingsport, TN.

Firefighters salary in Kingsport: questions

How much do firefighters make an hour in Kingsport?

$20.96 an hour on average, and $21.21 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level firefighters salary in Kingsport?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,010 a year and the 25th percentile is $32,110, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the firefighters take-home pay in Kingsport?

About $37,213 a year ($3,101 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $43,600. Tennessee has no state income tax.

Do firefighters earn more in Kingsport than elsewhere?

The average here is 34% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($65,977).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 33-2011; area Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA (28700). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.2%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.03, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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