Bookkeeper salary in Chattanooga, TN-GA
Hiring a bookkeeper costs less in Chattanooga than in Tennessee or the country as a whole. The median is $46,920 a year1: 2.6% below the Tennessee statewide median of $48,180 and 7.4% below the US median of $50,670. Among US areas it comes in at #296 of 521. BLS counts about 2,920 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Chattanooga, TN-GA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Chattanooga against Tennessee and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | $34,510 | $46,920 | $64,780 | |
| Tennessee | $35,000 | $48,180 | $67,730 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Chattanooga earns $39,250–$56,570. The top tenth earns $64,780 or more, 1.9 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.1 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $17,320 wide, against $18,130 across Tennessee and $17,950 nationally: employers in Chattanooga pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a bookkeeper here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $34,510 | $2,876 | $16.59 | $44,529 |
| 25th percentile | $39,250 | $3,271 | $18.87 | $50,645 |
| Median | $46,920 | $3,910 | $22.56 | $60,542 |
| 75th percentile | $56,570 | $4,714 | $27.20 | $72,994 |
| 90th percentile | $64,780 | $5,398 | $31.14 | $83,587 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $9,650 a year in pay and about $12,452 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $7,670 in pay. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $50,670 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Chattanooga, and the Tennessee statewide median of $48,180 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Chattanooga
At the $46,920 median, a local hire costs about $60,542 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $13,622 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for bookkeepers we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Chattanooga
Of the 17 roles we track in Chattanooga, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($51,870) and customer support specialists ($45,030). Project Coordinator is the highest at $87,240.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +19.6% | 1,630 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +10.5% | 190 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 2,920 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -4.0% | 5,120 | |
| HR Assistant | -5.1% | 290 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #5 of the 17 roles we track in Chattanooga (-7.4%), between e-commerce order specialists (-7.2%) and office managers (-7.7%). The typical role here is at -11.0%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in Chattanooga than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 10.2% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Chattanooga, 10.4% across Tennessee and 8.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Tennessee
Across the 14 areas of Tennessee with data for this job, the median runs from $40,700 in Johnson City to $50,810 in Nashville-Murfreesboro, a gap of $10,110 a year. All 3 areas in Tennessee with more bookkeepers than Chattanooga also pay more, among them Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN ($50,810) and Memphis, TN-MS ($48,400).
| Area | Median | vs Chattanooga | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN | +8.3% | 13,790 | |
| Memphis, TN-MS | +3.2% | 6,320 | |
| Knoxville, TN | +0.9% | 4,510 | |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | this area | 2,920 | |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | -1.4% | 1,000 | |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | -2.7% | 1,170 | |
| East Tennessee (Nonmetro) | -2.9% | 1,190 |
Chattanooga against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Chattanooga is #80 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Tennessee, Palm Bay-Melbourne and Flint pay just above Chattanooga and Sioux Falls and Lakeland-Winter Haven just below. All four are within $60 a year of the median in Chattanooga. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Chattanooga | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Haven, CT | +34.0% | 2,900 | jobs | |
| Winston-Salem, NC | +3.1% | 2,880 | jobs | |
| Flint, MI | +0.1% | 990 | pay | |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL | +0.1% | 2,050 | pay | |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | this area | 2,920 | ||
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | -0.0% | 3,390 | pay | |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | -0.1% | 2,220 | pay | |
| Colorado Springs, CO | -0.2% | 2,910 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Chattanooga, TN-GA?
About $60,542 a year at the median, or $5,045 a month: $46,920 in pay plus about $13,622 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in Chattanooga?
The median was $46,920 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $34,510, the 90th $64,780, and the middle half earned $39,250 to $56,570.
Is Chattanooga cheaper than the rest of Tennessee for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $46,920 against $48,180 statewide. The next area up in Tennessee is Knoxville at $47,320, the next down Clarksville at $46,280.
How many bookkeepers work in Chattanooga?
BLS counts about 2,920 in the May 2025 survey. 3 areas in Tennessee have more; the closest in size is Knoxville, with about 4,510.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than a customer support specialist in Chattanooga?
Yes: $1,890 a year more at the median. The medians are $46,920 and $45,030.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-3031: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.