Substation Engineer Salary in Johnson City, TN
This is the Data Center Headhunters salary guide.
BLS does not measure Substation Engineer as its own occupation, so this page uses Electrical Engineers (SOC 17-2071, broader occupation). The median annual wage in Johnson City, TN was $98,200 (BLS, May 2025), and the middle half earned $81,860 to $137,800. That is $22,430 below the national median of $120,630.
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Broader occupation
Electrical Engineers is a broader occupation based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.
Johnson City, TN
| Point | Annual wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $75,950 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $81,860 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $98,200 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $137,800 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $239,810 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $119,410 | Average wage. |
| Point | Hourly wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36.51 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $39.36 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $47.21 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $66.25 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $115.29 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $57.41 | Average wage. |
United States
| Point | Annual wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $76,550 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $92,830 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $120,630 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $152,950 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $184,300 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $125,100 | Average wage. |
| Point | Hourly wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36.8 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $44.63 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $58 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $73.53 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $88.61 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $60.15 | Average wage. |
What BLS wages cover: OEWS includes base rates, guaranteed pay, commissions and production incentives. It excludes on-call waiting or availability pay, overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. The on-call exclusion covers time awaiting a call to work, not ordinary wages for hours actually worked. These are straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Discuss per diem, travel and relocation separately. BLS pay-term definitions.
Employment: 60. Location quotient: 0.6.
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 17-2071 Electrical Engineers, Johnson City, TN. Download metropolitan data (ZIP).
Pay relative to all occupations
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| This occupation, median | $98,200 |
| All occupations (SOC 00-0000), median | $43,480 |
| Relative wage | 2.26 times |
A ratio of 1.00 means the same median as all workers in the area. It is arithmetic on two BLS medians, not a BLS statistic.
Change since the prior BLS release
| Reference period | Median |
|---|---|
| May 2024 | $97,320 |
| May 2025 | $98,200 |
| Difference | +$880 (+0.9%) |
Two published BLS values, shown as released. Not annualized, not adjusted for inflation, and BLS metro boundaries and survey panels can differ between releases.
What is inside the BLS pay figure
For construction and commissioning hires, separate expense reimbursements and overtime from straight-time pay. Check a project bonus on its actual terms. Guaranteed pay and production incentives count in BLS wages; discretionary nonproduction bonuses do not.
| Component | In the BLS figure? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Base rate and guaranteed pay | Included | BLS counts the "base rate" and "guaranteed pay". |
| Production and incentive pay | Included | BLS counts "incentive pay including commissions and production bonuses". |
| On-call waiting or availability pay | Left out | BLS excludes payment for time spent awaiting a call to work, not ordinary wages for hours actually worked. BLS on-call pay definition. |
| Overtime pay matters here | Left out | BLS excludes "overtime pay". Straight-time pay only. |
| Shift differentials | Left out | BLS excludes "shift differentials", so night and weekend premiums are not in the figure. |
| Project-completion and discretionary bonuses matters here | Depends on the terms | Guaranteed pay and production incentives are included. Discretionary nonproduction bonuses are excluded. Check how the payment is defined. |
| Per diem, travel and relocation matters here | Left out | BLS does not name these as wages. They are expense reimbursements and are not in the figure. |
| Benefits and employer costs | Left out | BLS excludes "employer costs for supplementary benefits". |
Nearby and other areas
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- Substation Engineer in Tennessee (state)
- All roles in Johnson City, TN
- Substation Engineer nationally
Hiring Market Brief
A one-page brief for Substation Engineer in Johnson City, TN: BLS pay, mapping and caveats.
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