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

How much does a food preparation worker make in Kingsport-Bristol, TN?

In the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $28,020 a year ($13.47 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 930 of these jobs there. That is 38% below the $45,240 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $23,330 and $36,040; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Tennessee tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $24,684 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Kingsport-Bristol, TN at a glance

Median salary

$28,020$13.47 per hour · $2,335 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$23,330$11.22/hr
25th percentile$24,130$11.60/hr
75th percentile$31,410$15.10/hr
90th percentile$36,040$17.33/hr
Jobs in this metro930Location quotient 1.35 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here38% belowAll-jobs median $45,240
Against Tennessee2% belowStatewide median $28,700
Against the U.S.21% belowNational median $35,320

Run the numbers on your own pay

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

Food preparation worker salary in Kingsport-Bristol, TN after taxes

$28,020
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$28,020
Net 88%
Fed 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$24,684After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,057Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$949Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate11.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,192 / yr
Tennessee state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,144 / yr

Food preparation workers 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 food preparation workers earned in the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TN)
10th percentile$11.22/hr$1,944$23,330$20,822
25th percentile$11.60/hr$2,011$24,130$21,481
MedianMedian$13.47/hr$2,335$28,020$24,684
75th percentile$15.10/hr$2,618$31,410$27,418
90th percentile$17.33/hr$3,003$36,040$31,138

Is $28,020 a good salary in Kingsport-Bristol, TN?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for food preparation workers 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 household48.5%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Kingsport-Bristol, TN: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area was $28,020 in May 2025, about $2,335 a month or $13.47 an hour. Statewide, the Tennessee median for this job is $28,700, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA was $13.47 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.22 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.33.

How many food preparation workers work in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

BLS estimated 930 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 7.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.35 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA run from $23,330 at the 10th percentile to $24,130 at the 25th, $31,410 at the 75th, and $36,040 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

On a median gross salary of $28,020, an estimated $24,684 lands in net take-home pay per year ($949 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Tennessee in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,336 (an effective rate of 11.9%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

On the median annual salary of $28,020, gross monthly income is $2,335. After federal, FICA, and Tennessee state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,057 per month (or $949 every two weeks).

Is $28,020 a good salary in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

At $28,020, the median salary for food preparation workers is 48.5% of the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA median household income ($57,792). It is 38% 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.