The median pay for all occupations in metropolitan Chattanooga rose 2% last year to $47,240, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Median pay in Chattanooga was still 16.2% below the national median pay of $56,360 for a typical American worker. Half of the top highest-paying occupations in Chattanooga in 2020 were in the health care field.
1. Surgeons, physicians, ophthalmologists – $270,120
2. Anesthesiologists – $269,610
3. Family medicine physicians – $239,750
4. Dentists – $193,700
5. Chief executives – $172,950
6. Architectural and engineering managers – $133,600
7. Nurse anesthetists – $133,190
8. Sales managers – $132,240
9. Computer and IT managers – $131,880
10. Nuclear engineers – $128,980
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2020 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates report for metropolitan Chattanooga based upon 242,810 employed persons. Among the 474 occupations in Chattanooga, waiters, waitresses, fast-food cooks and other restaurant workers had the lowest median pay.
— Compiled by Dave Flessner