Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a bartender make in Kingsport-Bristol, TN?

In the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metropolitan area, bartenders earned a median of $31,240 a year ($15.02 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 280 of these jobs there. That is 31% below the $45,240 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $16,190 and $60,980; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Tennessee tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $27,281 in take-home pay.

Bartender pay in Kingsport-Bristol, TN at a glance

Median salary

$31,240$15.02 per hour · $2,603 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$16,190$7.79/hr
25th percentile$22,690$10.91/hr
75th percentile$45,250$21.75/hr
90th percentile$60,980$29.32/hr
Jobs in this metro280Location quotient 0.47 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here31% belowAll-jobs median $45,240
Against Tennessee14% aboveStatewide median $27,480
Against the U.S.9% belowNational median $34,340

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Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Bartender salary in Kingsport-Bristol, TN after taxes

$31,240
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$31,240
Net 87%
Fed 5%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$27,281After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,273Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,049Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate12.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,569 / yr
Tennessee state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,390 / yr

Bartenders pay range in Kingsport-Bristol, TN, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What bartenders earned in the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TN)
10th percentile$7.79/hr$1,349$16,190$14,942
25th percentile$10.91/hr$1,891$22,690$20,295
MedianMedian$15.02/hr$2,603$31,240$27,281
75th percentile$21.75/hr$3,771$45,250$38,538
90th percentile$29.32/hr$5,082$60,980$51,177

Is $31,240 a good salary in Kingsport-Bristol, TN?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for bartenders next to both.

Median household income$57,792Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)86.413.6% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household54.1%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Do bartenders pay tax on tips?

Yes, but less than before. This job is on the Treasury's list of tipped occupations, so from 2025 through 2028 up to $25,000 a year of reported tips comes off federal taxable income, shrinking above $150,000 of income ($300,000 joint). Social Security and Medicare are still owed on every tip, and most states still tax them. The BLS pay figures on this page already include tips as employers report them.

See what the tips deduction saves you →

Bartender pay in Kingsport-Bristol, TN: common questions

What is the median salary for bartenders in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

The BLS median annual wage for bartenders in the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area was $31,240 in May 2025, about $2,603 a month or $15.02 an hour. Statewide, the Tennessee median for this job is $27,480, so the metro pays 14% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for bartenders in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

The median hourly wage for bartenders in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA was $15.02 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $7.79 an hour and one in ten earned more than $29.32.

How many bartenders work in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

BLS estimated 280 jobs for bartenders in the metro in May 2025, or 2.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.47 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for bartenders in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

BLS wage estimates for bartenders in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA run from $16,190 at the 10th percentile to $22,690 at the 25th, $45,250 at the 75th, and $60,980 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do bartenders take home after taxes in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

On a median gross salary of $31,240, an estimated $27,281 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,049 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Tennessee in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,959 (an effective rate of 12.7%).

How much do bartenders make per month in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

On the median annual salary of $31,240, gross monthly income is $2,603. After federal, FICA, and Tennessee state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,273 per month (or $1,049 every two weeks).

Is $31,240 a good salary in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

At $31,240, the median salary for bartenders is 54.1% of the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA median household income ($57,792). It is 31% below the $45,240 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 86.4, so prices here run 13.6% below the U.S. average.