Carpenters salary in Chattanooga, TN
Median pay for carpenters in Chattanooga, TN: $47,360/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $34,750 – $60,260 · about 660 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($49,990) by −$2,630 (-5%).
What it's really worth in Chattanooga
With Chattanooga's cost of living at 92 (US=100), that $47,360 has the buying power of about $51,283 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 128th of the 187 metros we hold carpenters wages for. Once Chattanooga's cost of living is applied, it ranks 117th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Chattanooga sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Chattanooga
A median home in Chattanooga, TN costs $326,370 — about 6.9× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,530/mo works out at 39% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.
Where carpenters 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, HI | $90,030 | +90% | 1.9× |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $80,260 | +69% | 1.7× |
| San Francisco, CA | $79,730 | +68% | 2.1× |
| San Jose, CA | $75,600 | +60% | 2.4× |
Same job elsewhere in TN
| Metro | Median pay | vs Chattanooga | Rent vs Chattanooga |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville, TN | $51,580 | +9% | 1.2× |
| Clarksville, TN | $49,650 | +5% | 0.9× |
| Memphis, TN | $47,700 | +1% | 0.9× |
| Knoxville, TN | $47,310 | +0% | 1.2× |
Staying in TN keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires carpenters around Chattanooga
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Volkswagen Group of America · Manufacturing
- 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.