SOC 29-2081 · Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro

Opticians, Dispensing Salary in Kingsport, TN

The average salary for opticians, dispensing in Kingsport, Tennessee is $44,860 a year ($21.57 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $38,510: half of the 110 people in this job in the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 14% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($52,330).

$44,860average per year

$21.57 / hourMedian $38,510Take-home ≈ $38,225

  • $32K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $39KMedian
  • $51K75th
  • $68K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

110people in this job
-14%vs U.S. metro average
#9 of 9Tennessee metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Opticians, Dispensing pay range in Kingsport

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $32,490 a year or less, while the top 10% make $67,550 or more. The middle half of opticians, dispensing in Kingsport earn between $35,570 and $50,970.

  • $32K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $39KMedian
  • $51K75th
  • $68K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$44,860$3,738$21.57
Median$38,510$3,209$18.51
Entry level (25th percentile)$35,570$2,964$17.10
Experienced (75th percentile)$50,970$4,248$24.50

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

Opticians, Dispensing salary after taxes in Kingsport

On the average salary of $44,860, a single filer in Kingsport takes home about $38,225 a year, or $3,185 a month and $1,470 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$38,225$3,185
Working in VA$36,460$3,038

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 opticians, dispensing? 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 $44,860 buys what about $51,893 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Kingsport ($45,240). A typical home costs $246,242, or 5.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $44,860 is worth in another city

Opticians, Dispensing salary in other Tennessee cities

Kingsport ranks 9th of 9 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Nashville pays the most ($54,980).

All Opticians, Dispensing salaries in Tennessee

Highest-paying cities for opticians, dispensing

Bridgeport, CT pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($74,410).

Opticians, Dispensing salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Opticians, Dispensing in Kingsport, TN.

Opticians, Dispensing salary in Kingsport: questions

How much do opticians, dispensing make an hour in Kingsport?

$21.57 an hour on average, and $18.52 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level opticians, dispensing salary in Kingsport?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $32,490 a year and the 25th percentile is $35,570, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the opticians, dispensing take-home pay in Kingsport?

About $38,225 a year ($3,185 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $44,860. Tennessee has no state income tax.

Do opticians, dispensing earn more in Kingsport than elsewhere?

The average here is 14% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($52,330).

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 29-2081; area Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA (28700). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.3%.
  • 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 1.93, this job is 1.9 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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