SOC 35-3011 · Chattanooga, TN-GA metro

Bartenders Salary in Chattanooga, TN

The average salary for bartenders in Chattanooga, Tennessee is $31,360 a year ($15.08 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $25,650: half of the 890 people in this job in the Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 25% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($41,635).

$31,360average per year

$15.08 / hourMedian $25,650Take-home ≈ $27,378

  • $15K10th
  • $18K25th
  • $26KMedian
  • $46K75th
  • $51K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

890people in this job
-25%vs U.S. metro average
#5 of 10Tennessee metros
91cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Bartenders pay range in Chattanooga

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $15,330 a year or less, while the top 10% make $51,350 or more. The middle half of bartenders in Chattanooga earn between $18,040 and $46,200.

  • $15K10th
  • $18K25th
  • $26KMedian
  • $46K75th
  • $51K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$31,360$2,613$15.08
Median$25,650$2,138$12.33
Entry level (25th percentile)$18,040$1,503$8.67
Experienced (75th percentile)$46,200$3,850$22.21

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Bartenders salary after taxes in Chattanooga

On the average salary of $31,360, a single filer in Chattanooga takes home about $27,378 a year, or $2,281 a month and $1,053 every two weeks. Taxes take 13% of gross pay.

The Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in TN$27,378$2,281
Working in GA$26,561$2,213

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

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Is Chattanooga a good place for bartenders? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Chattanooga area are 9% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 91.5), so the average $31,360 buys what about $34,287 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Chattanooga ($46,700). A typical home costs $326,370, or 10.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $31,360 is worth in another city

Bartenders salary in other Tennessee cities

Chattanooga ranks 5th of 10 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Kingsport pays the most ($35,570).

All Bartenders salaries in Tennessee

Highest-paying cities for bartenders

Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($91,360).

Bartenders salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Bartenders in Chattanooga, TN.

Bartenders salary in Chattanooga: questions

How much do bartenders make an hour in Chattanooga?

$15.08 an hour on average, and $12.33 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level bartenders salary in Chattanooga?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $15,330 a year and the 25th percentile is $18,040, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the bartenders take-home pay in Chattanooga?

About $27,378 a year ($2,281 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $31,360. Tennessee has no state income tax.

Do bartenders earn more in Chattanooga than elsewhere?

The average here is 25% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($41,635).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-3011; area Chattanooga, TN-GA (16860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 7.0%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.68, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.68).

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