Machinists pay range in Chattanooga
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,230 a year or less, while the top 10% make $69,870 or more. The middle half of machinists in Chattanooga earn between $45,790 and $61,540.
- $37K10th
- $46K25th
- $52KMedian
- $62K75th
- $70K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $54,340 | $4,528 | $26.12 |
| Median | $51,540 | $4,295 | $24.78 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $45,790 | $3,816 | $22.01 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $61,540 | $5,128 | $29.59 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Machinists salary after taxes in Chattanooga
On the average salary of $54,340, a single filer in Chattanooga takes home about $45,842 a year, or $3,820 a month and $1,763 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 | $45,842 | $3,820 |
| Working in GA | $43,879 | $3,657 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
Is Chattanooga a good place for machinists? 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 $54,340 buys what about $59,411 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Chattanooga ($46,700). A typical home costs $326,370, or 6.0 years of this average salary before tax.
Machinists salary in other Tennessee cities
Chattanooga ranks 5th of 10 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Memphis pays the most ($58,390).
- Memphis$58,390
- Clarksville$57,370
- Kingsport$56,220
- Nashville$54,480
- Chattanooga$54,340
- Knoxville$52,940
- Morristown$52,030
- Jackson$50,180
- Cleveland$47,950
- Johnson City$46,900
Highest-paying cities for machinists
Honolulu, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($81,140).
- Honolulu, HI$81,140
- Bremerton, WA$79,720
- Barnstable, MA$77,800
- Florence, AL$77,420
- San Francisco, CA$76,240
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Machinists salary in Chattanooga: questions
How much do machinists make an hour in Chattanooga?
$26.13 an hour on average, and $24.78 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level machinists salary in Chattanooga?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,230 a year and the 25th percentile is $45,790, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the machinists take-home pay in Chattanooga?
About $45,842 a year ($3,820 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $54,340. Tennessee has no state income tax.
Do machinists earn more in Chattanooga than elsewhere?
The average here is 9% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($59,811).
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 51-4041; area Chattanooga, TN-GA (16860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.1%.
- 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 1.48, this job is 1.5 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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