Jobs, pay and daily life in Johnson City, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Johnson City is a city in Tennessee with 72,222 residents. The median household earns $57,254 a year and the median rent is $1,023 a month, which is 21.4% of the median household income. It is part of the Johnson City, TN metropolitan area, where BLS counts 81,690 jobs.
How Johnson City compares. Among the 80 largest places in Tennessee, Johnson City is #8 by population, #16 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #64 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #18 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Washington County, is #25 of 95 counties for average pay ($55,766).
Johnson City has 72,222 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 1.0% of the population of Tennessee. It covers 44 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,651 people per square mile. The median age is 35.4, 9% younger than the state median (35.4 against 38.9).
The median gross rent is $1,023 a month (rent plus utilities), 14% below the state median ($1,023 against $1,189). Over a year that is 21.4% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $268,200, which is 4.7 times the median household income ($57,254). 51.3% of households own their home, 23% below the state average (51.3% against 66.9%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Johnson City, TN metropolitan area has 81,690 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $43,480 a year, 15% below the national median ($43,480 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (12,200 jobs, median $40,060); food preparation and serving related (9,340 jobs, median $27,350); healthcare practitioners and technical (8,310 jobs, median $76,110). The area is most specialised in healthcare practitioners and technical (1.6 times) and office and administrative support (1.3 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are healthcare practitioners and technical ($76,110) and educational instruction and library ($60,180). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Washington County was 3.1%. 62.8% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Washington County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 75.1% drive alone, 0.6% use public transit, 2.1% walk, 12.5% work from home. 7.4% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 51% below the state average (7.4% against 15.2%).
42.5% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 37% above the state share (42.5% against 31.1%). 4.6% of residents were born outside the United States, 25% below the state share (4.6% against 6.1%). The poverty rate is 20.3%, 47% above the state rate (20.3% against 13.8%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 75°F (23.8°C), and the coolest is Jan at 34°F (1.0°C). About 1,164 mm (46 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jul is the wettest month (130 mm) and Oct the driest (78 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Elizabethton (8 miles, rent 28% lower); Kingsport (15 miles, rent 11% lower); Bristol (17 miles, rent 18% lower); Bloomingdale (18 miles, rent 18% lower). Rent differences are against Johnson City; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Tennessee (395) →State guide: TennesseeCountry guideWashington CountyTennessee rankings
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There are 395 federal postings open in Tennessee (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
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| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,900 | 1.43 | $26,270 | $21,520 | $33,610 | -16% |
| Registered Nurses | 2,740 | 1.54 | $77,660 | $61,380 | $117,770 | -20% |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,330 | 1.14 | $29,820 | $22,590 | $46,190 | -16% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,940 | 1.42 | $36,570 | $29,520 | $49,060 | -18% |
| Cashiers | 1,920 | 1.18 | $27,160 | $20,750 | $33,930 | -17% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 1,580 | 3.12 | $36,570 | $30,450 | $47,130 | -20% |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,510 | 1.17 | $36,420 | $26,620 | $53,840 | -19% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,460 | 1.22 | $22,070 | $15,080 | $45,180 | -37% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 1,420 | 1.89 | $59,420 | $40,020 | $90,080 | -15% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,390 | 0.94 | $32,100 | $28,490 | $45,160 | -14% |
| Nursing Assistants | 1,390 | 1.83 | $37,310 | $29,510 | $43,830 | -12% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,340 | 0.86 | $35,930 | $28,470 | $45,740 | -11% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,280 | 0.69 | $93,200 | $45,130 | $207,290 | -12% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 1,260 | 1.71 | $43,480 | $32,210 | $44,730 | -3% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1,030 | 1.15 | $40,060 | $28,800 | $56,930 | -16% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 980 | 1.53 | $36,800 | $27,950 | $59,550 | -17% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 950 | 0.82 | $30,420 | $23,160 | $43,720 | -17% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 930 | 0.41 | $29,360 | $27,050 | $35,280 | -18% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 870 | 1.21 | $40,700 | $29,650 | $58,990 | -20% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 850 | 0.78 | $47,670 | $36,350 | $68,010 | -19% |
These figures are for the whole Johnson City, TN metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $43,480 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.2% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 30.9% |
| Retail trade | 13.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 12.0% |
| Manufacturing | 9.7% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 9.3% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 6.2% |
| Other services | 4.2% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 3.8% |
| Construction | 3.5% |
| Public administration | 2.9% |
| Information | 2.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.3% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.4% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county (the first of several) where Johnson City lies and cover the whole county, not only the city. The city also extends into Carter County, Sullivan County.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County | 136,261 | $9,174 million | $67,328 | 63,746 | 3,896 | $55,766 | -1.9% | 3.1% | 67,797 |
| Carter County | 56,712 | $1,556 million | $27,439 | 12,025 | 880 | $47,576 | +1.6% | 3.5% | 23,996 |
| Sullivan County | 160,624 | $11,880 million | $73,959 | 70,256 | 4,219 | $62,036 | +1.4% | 3.2% | 73,504 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 11,342 | 22.2% | $66,233 | 1.24 |
| Retail trade | 8,158 | 16.0% | $36,898 | 1.28 |
| Accommodation and food services | 7,517 | 14.7% | $22,531 | 1.30 |
| Manufacturing | 4,909 | 9.6% | $65,749 | 0.94 |
| Administrative and waste services | 4,712 | 9.2% | $38,234 | 1.26 |
| Wholesale trade | 2,489 | 4.9% | $80,833 | 0.99 |
| Professional and technical services | 2,176 | 4.3% | $75,719 | 0.49 |
| Construction | 1,930 | 3.8% | $57,544 | 0.58 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,612 | 3.2% | $81,197 | 0.62 |
| Management of companies | 1,501 | 2.9% | $86,404 | 1.40 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,297 | 2.5% | $39,543 | 0.68 |
| Real estate and rental | 885 | 1.7% | $49,682 | 0.89 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 724 | 1.4% | $59,206 | 0.27 |
| Information | 645 | 1.3% | $72,409 | 0.54 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 615 | 1.2% | $38,428 | 0.57 |
| Educational services | 424 | 0.8% | $30,104 | 0.32 |
| Utilities | 65 | 0.1% | $184,839 | 0.27 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 14 | 0.0% | $40,478 | 0.03 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 9 | 0.0% | $92,366 | 0.04 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 75.1% |
| Public transit | 0.6% |
| Walk | 2.1% |
| Work from home | 12.5% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 7.4% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,254 |
| Income per person | $36,833 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,023 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 21.4% |
| Median home value | $268,200 |
| Homeowners | 51.3% |
| Poverty rate | 20.3% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 87.9 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $43,480 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: No state tax on wages.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 35.4 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 92.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 42.5% |
| Born abroad | 4.6% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 62.8% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.0 | 34 | 86 |
| Feb | 2.9 | 37 | 95 |
| Mar | 7.5 | 46 | 95 |
| Apr | 12.9 | 55 | 108 |
| May | 17.6 | 64 | 104 |
| Jun | 22.0 | 72 | 104 |
| Jul | 23.8 | 75 | 130 |
| Aug | 23.6 | 74 | 98 |
| Sep | 20.4 | 69 | 86 |
| Oct | 13.9 | 57 | 78 |
| Nov | 7.5 | 46 | 82 |
| Dec | 3.2 | 38 | 98 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabethton | TN | 8 mi | 14,374 | $46,975 | $740 |
| Kingsport | TN | 15 mi | 56,262 | $52,490 | $907 |
| Bristol | TN | 17 mi | 27,636 | $58,162 | $842 |
| Bloomingdale | TN | 18 mi | 9,292 | $52,317 | $836 |
| Bristol | VA | 23 mi | 16,849 | $50,404 | $801 |
| Greeneville | TN | 27 mi | 15,646 | $49,889 | $650 |
| Boone | NC | 41 mi | 20,032 | $30,065 | $1,111 |
| Morristown | TN | 52 mi | 31,527 | $47,917 | $882 |
| Asheville | NC | 54 mi | 94,535 | $71,102 | $1,402 |
| Morganton | NC | 56 mi | 17,646 | $51,355 | $944 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
72,222 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,023 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 21.4% of the median household income.
$57,254 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.1% (BLS county, Washington County (latest month 2026M09)).
Tennessee. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.