SOC 27-1024 · Chattanooga, TN-GA metro

Graphic Designers Salary in Chattanooga, TN

The average salary for graphic designers in Chattanooga, Tennessee is $57,630 a year ($27.71 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $55,250: half of the 300 people in this job in the Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 19% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($71,400).

$57,630average per year

$27.71 / hourMedian $55,250Take-home ≈ $48,486

  • $36K10th
  • $41K25th
  • $55KMedian
  • $71K75th
  • $85K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

300people in this job
-19%vs U.S. metro average
#6 of 10Tennessee metros
91cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Graphic Designers pay range in Chattanooga

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,670 a year or less, while the top 10% make $84,980 or more. The middle half of graphic designers in Chattanooga earn between $41,330 and $71,010.

  • $36K10th
  • $41K25th
  • $55KMedian
  • $71K75th
  • $85K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$57,630$4,802$27.71
Median$55,250$4,604$26.56
Entry level (25th percentile)$41,330$3,444$19.87
Experienced (75th percentile)$71,010$5,918$34.14

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

Graphic Designers salary after taxes in Chattanooga

On the average salary of $57,630, a single filer in Chattanooga takes home about $48,486 a year, or $4,040 a month and $1,865 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:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in TN$48,486$4,040
Working in GA$46,358$3,863

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 graphic designers? 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 $57,630 buys what about $63,008 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Chattanooga ($46,700). A typical home costs $326,370, or 5.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $57,630 is worth in another city

Graphic Designers salary in other Tennessee cities

Chattanooga ranks 6th of 10 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Memphis pays the most ($65,970).

All Graphic Designers salaries in Tennessee

Highest-paying cities for graphic designers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($107,360).

Graphic Designers salary by city

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Graphic Designers salary in Chattanooga: questions

How much do graphic designers make an hour in Chattanooga?

$27.71 an hour on average, and $26.56 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level graphic designers salary in Chattanooga?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,670 a year and the 25th percentile is $41,330, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the graphic designers take-home pay in Chattanooga?

About $48,486 a year ($4,040 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $57,630. Tennessee has no state income tax.

Do graphic designers earn more in Chattanooga than elsewhere?

The average here is 19% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($71,400).

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 27-1024; area Chattanooga, TN-GA (16860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.0%.
  • 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 0.89, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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