SOC 25-9045 · Chattanooga, TN-GA metro

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary Salary in Chattanooga, TN

The average salary for teaching assistants (except postsecondary) in Chattanooga, Tennessee is $29,740 a year, according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $29,840: half of the 1,210 people in this job in the Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 22% less than the U.S. average for this job ($38,290).

$29,740average per year

Median $29,840Take-home ≈ $26,076

  • $23K10th
  • $25K25th
  • $30KMedian
  • $31K75th
  • $36K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

1,210people in this job
-22%vs U.S. average
#5 of 10Tennessee metros
91cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary pay range in Chattanooga

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,550 a year or less, while the top 10% make $36,420 or more. The middle half of teaching assistants (except postsecondary) in Chattanooga earn between $24,510 and $30,930.

  • $23K10th
  • $25K25th
  • $30KMedian
  • $31K75th
  • $36K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$29,740$2,478—
Median$29,840$2,487—
Entry level (25th percentile)$24,510$2,042—
Experienced (75th percentile)$30,930$2,578—

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year (BLS publishes this job's pay as annual only). Hourly to annual salary.

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary pay in Chattanooga vs. Tennessee and the U.S.

Teaching assistants (except postsecondary) in Chattanooga earn 3% less than the Tennessee average ($30,660) and 22% less than the U.S. average ($38,290). At the median the gap is -19% against the U.S. median of $36,780.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Chattanooga$29,740$29,840$22,550$36,4201,210
Tennessee$30,660$29,210$22,010$40,31023,280
United States$38,290$36,780$27,150$50,0401,420,350

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salary after taxes in Chattanooga

On the average salary of $29,740, a single filer in Chattanooga takes home about $26,076 a year, or $2,173 a month and $1,003 every two weeks. Taxes take 12% 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$26,076$2,173
Working in GA$25,341$2,112

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

Tennessee paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Chattanooga a good place for teaching assistants (except postsecondary)? 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 $29,740 buys what about $32,516 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 11.0 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $29,740 is worth in another city

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salary in other Tennessee cities

Chattanooga ranks 5th of 10 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Nashville pays the most ($33,650).

All Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salaries in Tennessee

Highest-paying cities for teaching assistants (except postsecondary)

Seattle, WA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($54,720).

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salary by city

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Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salary in Chattanooga: questions

What is the entry-level teaching assistants (except postsecondary) salary in Chattanooga?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,550 a year and the 25th percentile is $24,510, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the teaching assistants (except postsecondary) take-home pay in Chattanooga?

About $26,076 a year ($2,173 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $29,740. Tennessee has no state income tax.

Do teaching assistants (except postsecondary) earn more in Chattanooga than elsewhere?

The average here is 22% less than the U.S. average for this job ($38,290).

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 25-9045; area Chattanooga, TN-GA (16860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.7%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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 0.49, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.49).

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