Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $98,650
- Median hourly wage: $47.43
- Total employment: 430 people (1.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Chattanooga
Despite recession fears and falling consumer confidence, the job market in the United States has remained relatively stable in 2025 thus far. According to May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics data, around 177,000 new jobs were added in April, a slight decrease from the 185,000 new jobs added in the month before, but an extension of the country's 52-month streak of job growth. Unemployment rates also held relatively steady between April 2024 and April 2025, coming in at around 4%.
Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean Americans have it easy in the workplace. A December 2024 Payscale report found that nearly half (47%) of business organizations struggle to balance fair pay practices with spend optimization, and 18% plan to reduce pay increases in 2025 as a result.
For context, median weekly earnings across all employees in the U.S. stood at $1,194 in the first quarter of 2025. This represents an increase of 4.8% from a year prior and exceeds the Consumer Price Index's 2.7% increase in the same time period. However, there's one caveat: Earnings go much further in some places than in others.
In fact, the very definition of a "high-paying" job varies by location, as well as other factors such as industry and benefits. Even a six-figure salary may be considered low-income in places with an unusually high cost of living. Meanwhile, technology, finance, and health care jobs lead in terms of salary, but benefits like remote work can make other lower-paying jobs more desirable.
Regardless, anyone seeking a high-paying job should start by looking at the numbers. Stacker used BLS data to find the 50 highest-paying jobs in Chattanooga. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $99,120
- Median hourly wage: $47.65
- Total employment: 840 people (3.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $99,490
- Median hourly wage: $47.83
- Total employment: 910 people (3.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $100,470
- Median hourly wage: $48.30
- Total employment: 190 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $100,760
- Median hourly wage: $48.44
- Total employment: 1,070 people (3.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $101,820
- Median hourly wage: $48.95
- Total employment: 1,210 people (4.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sebastian Duda // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
- Median annual wage: $102,040
- Median hourly wage: $49.06
- Total employment: 30 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $103,000
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 490 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $103,200
- Median hourly wage: $49.61
- Total employment: 5,650 people (20.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $103,670
- Median hourly wage: $49.84
- Total employment: 460 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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aappp // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $103,830
- Median hourly wage: $49.92
- Total employment: Not available
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $104,050
- Median hourly wage: $50.03
- Total employment: 70 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $105,200
- Median hourly wage: $50.58
- Total employment: 70 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $105,300
- Median hourly wage: $50.62
- Total employment: 30 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $106,320
- Median hourly wage: $51.12
- Total employment: 250 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $107,850
- Median hourly wage: $51.85
- Total employment: 200 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $107,890
- Median hourly wage: $51.87
- Total employment: 1,260 people (4.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Clinical and counseling psychologists
- Median annual wage: $108,300
- Median hourly wage: $52.07
- Total employment: 50 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $108,920
- Median hourly wage: $52.37
- Total employment: 50 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $108,930
- Median hourly wage: $52.37
- Total employment: 60 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $110,070
- Median hourly wage: $52.92
- Total employment: 570 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $110,090
- Median hourly wage: $52.93
- Total employment: 40 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $114,450
- Median hourly wage: $55.03
- Total employment: 350 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $115,290
- Median hourly wage: $55.43
- Total employment: 730 people (2.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $116,270
- Median hourly wage: $55.90
- Total employment: 70 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $116,570
- Median hourly wage: $56.04
- Total employment: 100 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $119,770
- Median hourly wage: $57.58
- Total employment: 470 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $123,480
- Median hourly wage: $59.37
- Total employment: 50 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $124,010
- Median hourly wage: $59.62
- Total employment: 60 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $125,040
- Median hourly wage: $60.11
- Total employment: 960 people (3.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Stokkete // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $125,160
- Median hourly wage: $60.17
- Total employment: 200 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $127,160
- Median hourly wage: $61.14
- Total employment: 520 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $129,770
- Median hourly wage: $62.39
- Total employment: 150 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $130,210
- Median hourly wage: $62.60
- Total employment: 630 people (2.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $130,510
- Median hourly wage: $62.74
- Total employment: 1,220 people (4.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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creativemarc // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $131,150
- Median hourly wage: $63.05
- Total employment: 680 people (2.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Lobanov // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Nuclear engineers
- Median annual wage: $138,050
- Median hourly wage: $66.37
- Total employment: 110 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $145,720
- Median hourly wage: $70.06
- Total employment: 700 people (2.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $147,590
- Median hourly wage: $70.96
- Total employment: 160 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $148,530
- Median hourly wage: $71.41
- Total employment: 40 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $152,800
- Median hourly wage: $73.46
- Total employment: 400 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $153,600
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $172,780
- Median hourly wage: $83.07
- Total employment: 400 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Nurse anesthetists
- Median annual wage: $197,370
- Median hourly wage: $94.89
- Total employment: 270 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photoroyalty // Shutterstock
45 / 50#1. Surgeons, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
46 / 50#1. Family medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 150 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
47 / 50#1. Physicians, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 280 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Komsan Loonprom // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. Cardiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 60 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. General internal medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 70 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Anesthesiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 70 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Cu Fleshman, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
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