SOC 43-5031 · Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro

Public Safety Telecommunicators Salary in Kingsport, TN

The average salary for public safety telecommunicators in Kingsport, Tennessee is $44,440 a year ($21.37 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $44,630: half of the 80 people in this job in the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 22% less than the U.S. average for this job ($56,740).

$44,440average per year

$21.37 / hourMedian $44,630Take-home ≈ $37,888

  • $36K10th
  • $38K25th
  • $45KMedian
  • $46K75th
  • $58K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

80people in this job
-22%vs U.S. average
#5 of 10Tennessee metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Public Safety Telecommunicators pay range in Kingsport

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,460 a year or less, while the top 10% make $57,790 or more. The middle half of public safety telecommunicators in Kingsport earn between $38,130 and $45,970.

  • $36K10th
  • $38K25th
  • $45KMedian
  • $46K75th
  • $58K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$44,440$3,703$21.37
Median$44,630$3,719$21.46
Entry level (25th percentile)$38,130$3,178$18.33
Experienced (75th percentile)$45,970$3,831$22.10

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

Public Safety Telecommunicators pay in Kingsport vs. Tennessee and the U.S.

Public safety telecommunicators in Kingsport earn 8% less than the Tennessee average ($48,500) and 22% less than the U.S. average ($56,740). At the median the gap is -16% against the U.S. median of $53,040.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Kingsport$44,440$44,630$36,460$57,79080
Tennessee$48,500$46,390$33,840$66,1801,840
United States$56,740$53,040$37,320$79,830102,500

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Public Safety Telecommunicators salary after taxes in Kingsport

On the average salary of $44,440, a single filer in Kingsport takes home about $37,888 a year, or $3,157 a month and $1,457 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$37,888$3,157
Working in VA$36,146$3,012

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

Tennessee paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Kingsport a good place for public safety telecommunicators? 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 $44,440 buys what about $51,407 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 5.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $44,440 is worth in another city

Public Safety Telecommunicators salary in other Tennessee cities

Kingsport ranks 5th of 10 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Memphis pays the most ($55,030).

All Public Safety Telecommunicators salaries in Tennessee

Highest-paying cities for public safety telecommunicators

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($116,260).

Public Safety Telecommunicators salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Public Safety Telecommunicators in Kingsport, TN.

Public Safety Telecommunicators salary in Kingsport: questions

How much do public safety telecommunicators make an hour in Kingsport?

$21.37 an hour on average, and $21.46 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level public safety telecommunicators salary in Kingsport?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,460 a year and the 25th percentile is $38,130, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the public safety telecommunicators take-home pay in Kingsport?

About $37,888 a year ($3,157 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $44,440. Tennessee has no state income tax.

Do public safety telecommunicators earn more in Kingsport than elsewhere?

The average here is 22% less than the U.S. average for this job ($56,740).

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 43-5031; area Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA (28700). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.3%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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 0.96, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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