Firefighters pay range in Chattanooga
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $32,810 a year or less, while the top 10% make $61,090 or more. The middle half of firefighters in Chattanooga earn between $39,810 and $61,090.
- $33K10th
- $40K25th
- $46KMedian
- $61K75th
- $61K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $48,660 | $4,055 | $23.39 |
| Median | $46,060 | $3,838 | $22.14 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $39,810 | $3,318 | $19.14 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $61,090 | $5,091 | $29.37 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Firefighters salary after taxes in Chattanooga
On the average salary of $48,660, a single filer in Chattanooga takes home about $41,278 a year, or $3,440 a month and $1,588 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% 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 | $41,278 | $3,440 |
| Working in GA | $39,599 | $3,300 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
Is Chattanooga a good place for firefighters? 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 $48,660 buys what about $53,201 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Chattanooga ($46,700). A typical home costs $326,370, or 6.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Firefighters salary in other Tennessee cities
Chattanooga ranks 5th of 9 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Memphis pays the most ($57,560).
- Memphis$57,560
- Clarksville$53,290
- Nashville$53,290
- Knoxville$49,910
- Chattanooga$48,660
- Kingsport$43,600
- Johnson City$40,300
- Morristown$39,570
- Jackson$36,830
Highest-paying cities for firefighters
Bakersfield, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($199,490).
- Bakersfield, CA$199,490
- San Jose, CA$134,270
- San Francisco, CA$110,590
- Los Angeles, CA$108,860
- Seattle, WA$100,450
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Firefighters salary in Chattanooga: questions
How much do firefighters make an hour in Chattanooga?
$23.40 an hour on average, and $22.15 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level firefighters salary in Chattanooga?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $32,810 a year and the 25th percentile is $39,810, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the firefighters take-home pay in Chattanooga?
About $41,278 a year ($3,440 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $48,660. Tennessee has no state income tax.
Do firefighters earn more in Chattanooga than elsewhere?
The average here is 26% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($65,977).
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 33-2011; area Chattanooga, TN-GA (16860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.5%.
- 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 0.94, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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