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1 / 50#50. Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other
- Median annual wage: $85,320
- Median hourly wage: $41.02
- Total employment: 70 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Kingsport
Despite recession fears and falling consumer confidence, the job market in the United States has remained relatively stable in 2025 thus far. According to May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics data, around 177,000 new jobs were added in April, a slight decrease from the 185,000 new jobs added in the month before, but an extension of the country's 52-month streak of job growth. Unemployment rates also held relatively steady between April 2024 and April 2025, coming in at around 4%.
Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean Americans have it easy in the workplace. A December 2024 Payscale report found that nearly half (47%) of business organizations struggle to balance fair pay practices with spend optimization, and 18% plan to reduce pay increases in 2025 as a result.
For context, median weekly earnings across all employees in the U.S. stood at $1,194 in the first quarter of 2025. This represents an increase of 4.8% from a year prior and exceeds the Consumer Price Index's 2.7% increase in the same time period. However, there's one caveat: Earnings go much further in some places than in others.
In fact, the very definition of a "high-paying" job varies by location, as well as other factors such as industry and benefits. Even a six-figure salary may be considered low-income in places with an unusually high cost of living. Meanwhile, technology, finance, and health care jobs lead in terms of salary, but benefits like remote work can make other lower-paying jobs more desirable.
Regardless, anyone seeking a high-paying job should start by looking at the numbers. Stacker used BLS data to find the 50 highest-paying jobs in Kingsport. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
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2 / 50#49. Budget analysts
- Median annual wage: $87,270
- Median hourly wage: $41.96
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $87,550
- Median hourly wage: $42.09
- Total employment: 290 people (2.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $87,630
- Median hourly wage: $42.13
- Total employment: 190 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $90,340
- Median hourly wage: $43.43
- Total employment: 210 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $91,410
- Median hourly wage: $43.95
- Total employment: 100 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $92,540
- Median hourly wage: $44.49
- Total employment: 2,170 people (18.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $92,640
- Median hourly wage: $44.54
- Total employment: 280 people (2.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $93,250
- Median hourly wage: $44.83
- Total employment: 200 people (1.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $94,450
- Median hourly wage: $45.41
- Total employment: 40 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Web developers
- Median annual wage: $94,530
- Median hourly wage: $45.45
- Total employment: 40 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $94,560
- Median hourly wage: $45.46
- Total employment: 270 people (2.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $95,310
- Median hourly wage: $45.82
- Total employment: 140 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $97,390
- Median hourly wage: $46.82
- Total employment: 390 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $98,330
- Median hourly wage: $47.27
- Total employment: 340 people (2.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $98,820
- Median hourly wage: $47.51
- Total employment: 220 people (1.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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17 / 50#34. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $99,270
- Median hourly wage: $47.73
- Total employment: 80 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $100,910
- Median hourly wage: $48.51
- Total employment: 90 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $101,310
- Median hourly wage: $48.71
- Total employment: 290 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $101,340
- Median hourly wage: $48.72
- Total employment: 50 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $102,980
- Median hourly wage: $49.51
- Total employment: 80 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $103,330
- Median hourly wage: $49.68
- Total employment: 50 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sebastian Duda // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
- Median annual wage: $104,000
- Median hourly wage: $50.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $104,610
- Median hourly wage: $50.30
- Total employment: 60 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $105,890
- Median hourly wage: $50.91
- Total employment: 120 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $107,560
- Median hourly wage: $51.71
- Total employment: 40 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $107,980
- Median hourly wage: $51.91
- Total employment: 200 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $108,850
- Median hourly wage: $52.33
- Total employment: 500 people (4.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $110,010
- Median hourly wage: $52.89
- Total employment: 90 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $112,120
- Median hourly wage: $53.90
- Total employment: 120 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $114,540
- Median hourly wage: $55.07
- Total employment: 440 people (3.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $115,450
- Median hourly wage: $55.51
- Total employment: 160 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $118,290
- Median hourly wage: $56.87
- Total employment: 110 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $122,670
- Median hourly wage: $58.98
- Total employment: 220 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $123,190
- Median hourly wage: $59.23
- Total employment: 160 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $124,260
- Median hourly wage: $59.74
- Total employment: 210 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $125,050
- Median hourly wage: $60.12
- Total employment: 460 people (3.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aappp // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $126,050
- Median hourly wage: $60.60
- Total employment: 40 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $126,600
- Median hourly wage: $60.87
- Total employment: 320 people (2.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $127,160
- Median hourly wage: $61.14
- Total employment: 60 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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dokurose // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $128,300
- Median hourly wage: $61.68
- Total employment: 270 people (2.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $134,760
- Median hourly wage: $64.79
- Total employment: 50 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $135,200
- Median hourly wage: $65.00
- Total employment: 220 people (1.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $136,130
- Median hourly wage: $65.45
- Total employment: 150 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $167,720
- Median hourly wage: $80.63
- Total employment: 60 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $196,520
- Median hourly wage: $94.48
- Total employment: 130 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Nurse anesthetists
- Median annual wage: $204,600
- Median hourly wage: $98.37
- Total employment: 90 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Physicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $236,970
- Median hourly wage: $113.93
- Total employment: 160 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Komsan Loonprom // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Cardiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 50 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Family medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 190 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Cu Fleshman, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
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