Cost of hiring in Chattanooga, TN-GA
BLS counts about 28,700 people in these 17 roles in Chattanooga1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($87,240 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($35,070), and Customer Support Specialist is the largest job, with about 5,120 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Chattanooga
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Support Specialist | +0.6% | 5,120 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -4.6% | 120 | |
| Paralegal | -5.7% | 530 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -7.2% | 140 | |
| Bookkeeper | -7.4% | 2,920 | |
| Office Manager | -7.7% | 3,940 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -7.7% | 1,090 | |
| Accountant | -8.4% | 1,940 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -11.0% | 190 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -11.7% | 2,470 | |
| HR Assistant | -12.0% | 290 | |
| Project Coordinator | -14.7% | 1,750 | |
| Executive Assistant | -15.6% | 440 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -15.6% | 990 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -15.9% | 3,590 | |
| Recruiter | -18.8% | 1,550 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -19.8% | 1,630 |
The employer pays more than the wage: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, so a $45,030 median for customer support specialists, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $58,103 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Chattanooga against the US
Chattanooga pays below the US median for 16 of the 17 roles, furthest for sales development representatives (-19.8%). For customer support specialists it is within 1% of the US figure. The middle gap across all 17 is -11.0%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for customer support specialists, #135 of 520 areas by median pay; its lowest is for HR assistants, #319 of 384.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Chattanooga has more medical administrative assistants (12.5% of these jobs here, against 6.1% nationally) and HR assistants (1.0% against 0.6%), and fewer data entry specialists (0.4% against 0.8%) and executive assistants (1.5% against 2.9%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Saginaw, MI is nearest, at -10.9%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville, NC | -10.8% | 16 | 7,660 |
| Wilmington, NC | -10.9% | 17 | 19,910 |
| Erie, PA | -10.9% | 17 | 9,750 |
| Roanoke, VA | -10.9% | 17 | 14,960 |
| Saginaw, MI | -10.9% | 17 | 8,170 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | -11.0% (this area) | 17 | 28,700 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Chattanooga span $32,930–$106,760, the widest band (3.2×); virtual receptionists the narrowest, $27,030–$44,790. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 7 of 17 roles, sales development representatives most ($37,980–$148,840 across the US). Budget from the median for marketing specialists, sales development representatives, recruiters and 3 more roles: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($75,310 against a $66,460 median for marketing specialists).
Chattanooga against Tennessee
Against Tennessee as a whole, Chattanooga pays more for 3 of 17 roles, led by e-commerce order specialists (+9.4%) and customer support specialists (+5.1%), and less for 10, most of all recruiters (-8.5%). It has the highest median in Tennessee for e-commerce order specialists.
Other areas in Tennessee
By jobs in these roles, Chattanooga is #4 of 14 areas in Tennessee. The table shows the areas closest to it in size, from Nashville-Murfreesboro to the East Tennessee nonmetro area.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN | 133,260 | 17 |
| Memphis, TN-MS | 59,940 | 17 |
| Knoxville, TN | 46,920 | 17 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | 11,540 | 17 |
| North Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | 10,290 | 17 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | 9,360 | 17 |
| Johnson City, TN | 9,340 | 17 |
| West Tennessee (Nonmetro) | 9,320 | 17 |
| South Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | 8,960 | 17 |
| East Tennessee (Nonmetro) | 8,610 | 17 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Chattanooga?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $87,240 a year, about $112,568 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $35,070.
Is hiring in Chattanooga cheaper than the US median?
Mostly: no role pays more than the US median, and 16 of 17 pay less.
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.