FAST FACTChattanooga-area average wages have held steady at 14 percent less than the national average nearly every year since 2006. The only exception was 2009, when the gap reached 15 percent.TOP 5Here are the top industries in Chattanooga by employment:Office administration and support: 36,470Transportation and material moving: 23,650Production: 21,230Sales and related: 20,850Food preparation and serving: 19,760Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Working in the greater Chattanooga metropolitan area, you probably make less than others in your field around the country.
About 14 percent less, according to U.S. Department of Labor numbers released Wednesday.
Last May, the national average wage was $22.33 an hour, according to the report. But for Chattanooga, the average wage was $19.29.
Accounting for Chattanooga’s slightly lower cost of living — 7 percent below average, according to The Council for Community and Economic Research — workers here still make less than others around the country.