Clergy pay range in Chattanooga
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $42,490 a year or less, while the top 10% make $71,070 or more. The middle half of clergy in Chattanooga earn between $50,120 and $64,580.
- $42K10th
- $50K25th
- $59KMedian
- $65K75th
- $71K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $59,050 | $4,921 | $28.39 |
| Median | $59,040 | $4,920 | $28.38 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $50,120 | $4,177 | $24.10 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $64,580 | $5,382 | $31.05 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Clergy salary after taxes in Chattanooga
On the average salary of $59,050, a single filer in Chattanooga takes home about $49,627 a year, or $4,136 a month and $1,909 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.
The Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in TN | $49,627 | $4,136 |
| Working in GA | $47,429 | $3,952 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
Is Chattanooga a good place for clergy? 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 $59,050 buys what about $64,561 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Chattanooga ($46,700). A typical home costs $326,370, or 5.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Clergy salary in other Tennessee cities
Chattanooga ranks 4th of 5 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Nashville pays the most ($61,050).
- Nashville$61,050
- Johnson City$60,350
- Memphis$60,220
- Chattanooga$59,050
- Knoxville$56,570
Highest-paying cities for clergy
Los Angeles, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($104,000).
- Los Angeles, CA$104,000
- Santa Rosa, CA$85,300
- Seattle, WA$85,010
- Bozeman, MT$83,660
- San Francisco, CA$80,410
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Clergy salary in Chattanooga: questions
How much do clergy make an hour in Chattanooga?
$28.39 an hour on average, and $28.39 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level clergy salary in Chattanooga?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $42,490 a year and the 25th percentile is $50,120, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the clergy take-home pay in Chattanooga?
About $49,627 a year ($4,136 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $59,050. Tennessee has no state income tax.
Do clergy earn more in Chattanooga than elsewhere?
The average here is 11% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($66,172).
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 21-2011; area Chattanooga, TN-GA (16860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.7%.
- 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 0.71, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.71).
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