Cooks, Short Order pay range in Chattanooga
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,050 a year or less, while the top 10% make $37,950 or more. The middle half of cooks, short order in Chattanooga earn between $24,710 and $35,060.
- $22K10th
- $25K25th
- $30KMedian
- $35K75th
- $38K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $30,490 | $2,541 | $14.66 |
| Median | $29,950 | $2,496 | $14.40 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $24,710 | $2,059 | $11.88 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $35,060 | $2,922 | $16.86 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Cooks, Short Order salary after taxes in Chattanooga
On the average salary of $30,490, a single filer in Chattanooga takes home about $26,679 a year, or $2,223 a month and $1,026 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:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in TN | $26,679 | $2,223 |
| Working in GA | $25,906 | $2,159 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
Is Chattanooga a good place for cooks, short order? 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 $30,490 buys what about $33,336 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Chattanooga ($46,700). A typical home costs $326,370, or 10.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Short Order salary in other Tennessee cities
Chattanooga ranks 4th of 8 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Nashville pays the most ($36,390).
- Nashville$36,390
- Memphis$31,080
- Knoxville$30,880
- Chattanooga$30,490
- Kingsport$30,260
- Clarksville$30,100
- Johnson City$29,700
- Cleveland$27,380
Highest-paying cities for cooks, short order
Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($52,560).
- Kahului, HI$52,560
- Denver, CO$51,530
- Seattle, WA$49,560
- Corvallis, OR$48,580
- San Francisco, CA$46,250
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Cooks, Short Order salary in Chattanooga: questions
How much do cooks, short order make an hour in Chattanooga?
$14.66 an hour on average, and $14.40 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, short order salary in Chattanooga?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,050 a year and the 25th percentile is $24,710, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, short order take-home pay in Chattanooga?
About $26,679 a year ($2,223 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $30,490. Tennessee has no state income tax.
Do cooks, short order earn more in Chattanooga than elsewhere?
The average here is 19% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($37,675).
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 35-2015; area Chattanooga, TN-GA (16860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.5%.
- 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 0.85, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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