Accountants & Auditors salary in Chattanooga, TN
Median pay for accountants & auditors in Chattanooga, TN: $70,140/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $47,400 – $113,950 · about 1,770 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($74,290) by −$4,150 (-6%).
What it's really worth in Chattanooga
With Chattanooga's cost of living at 92 (US=100), that $70,140 has the buying power of about $75,950 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $65,387 · median home $326,370 · median rent $1,530/mo.
How Chattanooga ranks for this job
On raw pay, Chattanooga, TN is 132nd of the 187 metros we hold accountants & auditors wages for. Once Chattanooga's cost of living is applied, it ranks 109th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Chattanooga is one of the places where accountants & auditors gain ground in real terms, because local costs are low relative to what the job pays.
What that salary buys in Chattanooga
A median home in Chattanooga, TN costs $326,370 — about 4.7× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,530/mo works out at 26% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where accountants & auditors earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Chattanooga.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Chattanooga | Rent vs Chattanooga |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $113,980 | +63% | 2.4× |
| San Francisco, CA | $103,990 | +48% | 2.1× |
| New York, NY | $103,900 | +48% | 2.3× |
| Washington, DC | $97,320 | +39% | 1.6× |
Same job elsewhere in TN
| Metro | Median pay | vs Chattanooga | Rent vs Chattanooga |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville, TN | $76,440 | +9% | 1.2× |
| Memphis, TN | $72,060 | +3% | 0.9× |
| Knoxville, TN | $71,260 | +2% | 1.2× |
| Kingsport, TN | $66,780 | −5% | 0.9× |
Staying in TN keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires accountants & auditors around Chattanooga
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Volkswagen Group of America · Manufacturing
- BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee · Finance
- Unum Group · Finance
- McKee Foods · Manufacturing
Other jobs in Chattanooga
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.