Background: Smoking is a well-known risk factor for respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and many types of cancers, but there is little information about the effects of smoking on muscle strength. Hand grip strength (HGS) is a simple way to measure muscle power. We compared the mean HGS according to smoking status and smoking level in Korean male and female smokers. Methods: We obtained data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VII and included adults aged 20–79 years. We identified factors that affect HGS and after adjusting for these factors, we compared the mean HGS of smokers, ex-smokers, and nonsmokers. We also compared the mean HGS of smokers according to the smoking level. ANOVA and ANCOVA analyses were performed to compare the mean HGS. In addition, we examined the relationship between smoking, and mean main HGS, which is the mean HGS of the dominant hand. Results: A total of 9,848 people were analyzed after excluding those with uncertain smoking status and those who did not respond to the study variables. After adjusting for all cofactors, the mean HGS and the mean main HGS were higher in smokers and ex-smokers than in both male and female nonsmokers with no previous history of smoking. In smokers, the amount of smoking did not affect the mean HGS or mean main HGS. Conclusion Smokers and ex-smokers have higher mean HGS and mean main HGS than nonsmokers, and the amount of smoking does not affect the mean HGS and mean main HGS in smokers.