SOC 51-9083 · Chattanooga, TN-GA metro

Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians Salary in Chattanooga, TN

The average salary for ophthalmic laboratory technicians in Chattanooga, Tennessee is $42,090 a year ($20.23 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $43,270: half of the 40 people in this job in the Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 3% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($43,419).

$42,090average per year

$20.23 / hourMedian $43,270Take-home ≈ $35,999

  • $33K10th
  • $35K25th
  • $43KMedian
  • $43K75th
  • $54K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

40people in this job
-3%vs U.S. metro average
91cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians pay range in Chattanooga

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $33,050 a year or less, while the top 10% make $54,130 or more. The middle half of ophthalmic laboratory technicians in Chattanooga earn between $35,300 and $43,270.

  • $33K10th
  • $35K25th
  • $43KMedian
  • $43K75th
  • $54K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$42,090$3,508$20.24
Median$43,270$3,606$20.80
Entry level (25th percentile)$35,300$2,942$16.97
Experienced (75th percentile)$43,270$3,606$20.80

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

Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians salary after taxes in Chattanooga

On the average salary of $42,090, a single filer in Chattanooga takes home about $35,999 a year, or $3,000 a month and $1,385 every two weeks. Taxes take 14% 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$35,999$3,000
Working in GA$34,648$2,887

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 ophthalmic laboratory technicians? 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 $42,090 buys what about $46,018 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Chattanooga ($46,700). A typical home costs $326,370, or 7.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $42,090 is worth in another city

Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians salary in nearby metro areas

Highest-paying cities for ophthalmic laboratory technicians

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($60,920).

Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians in Chattanooga, TN.

Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians salary in Chattanooga: questions

How much do ophthalmic laboratory technicians make an hour in Chattanooga?

$20.23 an hour on average, and $20.80 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level ophthalmic laboratory technicians salary in Chattanooga?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $33,050 a year and the 25th percentile is $35,300, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the ophthalmic laboratory technicians take-home pay in Chattanooga?

About $35,999 a year ($3,000 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $42,090. Tennessee has no state income tax.

Do ophthalmic laboratory technicians earn more in Chattanooga than elsewhere?

The average here is 3% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($43,419).

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 51-9083; area Chattanooga, TN-GA (16860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.0%.
  • 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 1.20, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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