SOC 39-9032 · Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro

Recreation Workers Salary in Kingsport, TN

The average salary for recreation workers in Kingsport, Tennessee is $33,990 a year ($16.34 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $31,080: half of the 140 people in this job in the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 12% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($38,839).

$33,990average per year

$16.34 / hourMedian $31,080Take-home ≈ $29,491

  • $26K10th
  • $28K25th
  • $31KMedian
  • $37K75th
  • $45K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

140people in this job
-12%vs U.S. metro average
#4 of 10Tennessee metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Recreation Workers pay range in Kingsport

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $25,810 a year or less, while the top 10% make $45,450 or more. The middle half of recreation workers in Kingsport earn between $27,800 and $36,890.

  • $26K10th
  • $28K25th
  • $31KMedian
  • $37K75th
  • $45K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$33,990$2,832$16.34
Median$31,080$2,590$14.94
Entry level (25th percentile)$27,800$2,317$13.37
Experienced (75th percentile)$36,890$3,074$17.74

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

Recreation Workers salary after taxes in Kingsport

On the average salary of $33,990, a single filer in Kingsport takes home about $29,491 a year, or $2,458 a month and $1,134 every two weeks. Taxes take 13% 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$29,491$2,458
Working in VA$28,351$2,363

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 recreation workers? 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 $33,990 buys what about $39,319 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Kingsport ($45,240). A typical home costs $246,242, or 7.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $33,990 is worth in another city

Recreation Workers salary in other Tennessee cities

Kingsport ranks 4th of 10 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Nashville pays the most ($38,770).

All Recreation Workers salaries in Tennessee

Highest-paying cities for recreation workers

Fairbanks, AK pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($61,070).

Recreation Workers salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Recreation Workers in Kingsport, TN.

Recreation Workers salary in Kingsport: questions

How much do recreation workers make an hour in Kingsport?

$16.34 an hour on average, and $14.94 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level recreation workers salary in Kingsport?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $25,810 a year and the 25th percentile is $27,800, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the recreation workers take-home pay in Kingsport?

About $29,491 a year ($2,458 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $33,990. Tennessee has no state income tax.

Do recreation workers earn more in Kingsport than elsewhere?

The average here is 12% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($38,839).

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 39-9032; area Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA (28700). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.5%.
  • 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 0.57, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.57).

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