SOC 29-1127 · Chattanooga, TN-GA metro

Speech-Language Pathologists Salary in Chattanooga, TN

The average salary for speech-language pathologists in Chattanooga, Tennessee is $91,860 a year ($44.16 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $93,740: half of the 330 people in this job in the Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 6% less than the U.S. average for this job ($98,170).

$91,860average per year

$44.16 / hourMedian $93,740Take-home ≈ $73,454

  • $61K10th
  • $79K25th
  • $94KMedian
  • $107K75th
  • $123K90th

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

330people in this job
-6%vs U.S. average
#1 of 10Tennessee metros
91cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Speech-Language Pathologists pay range in Chattanooga

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $60,870 a year or less, while the top 10% make $123,100 or more. The middle half of speech-language pathologists in Chattanooga earn between $78,840 and $106,790.

  • $61K10th
  • $79K25th
  • $94KMedian
  • $107K75th
  • $123K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$91,860$7,655$44.16
Median$93,740$7,812$45.07
Entry level (25th percentile)$78,840$6,570$37.90
Experienced (75th percentile)$106,790$8,899$51.34

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

Speech-Language Pathologists pay in Chattanooga vs. Tennessee and the U.S.

Speech-language pathologists in Chattanooga earn 8% more than the Tennessee average ($85,050) and 6% less than the U.S. average ($98,170). At the median the gap is -4% against the U.S. median of $97,870.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Chattanooga$91,860$93,740$60,870$123,100330
Tennessee$85,050$84,630$58,550$116,7903,320
United States$98,170$97,870$62,900$134,160183,390

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

Speech-Language Pathologists salary after taxes in Chattanooga

On the average salary of $91,860, a single filer in Chattanooga takes home about $73,454 a year, or $6,121 a month and $2,825 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% 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$73,454$6,121
Working in GA$69,618$5,802

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 speech-language pathologists? 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 $91,860 buys what about $100,433 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Chattanooga ($46,700). A typical home costs $326,370, or 3.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $91,860 is worth in another city

Speech-Language Pathologists salary in other Tennessee cities

Chattanooga ranks 1st of 10 Tennessee metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Speech-Language Pathologists salaries in Tennessee

Highest-paying cities for speech-language pathologists

El Centro, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($139,700).

Speech-Language Pathologists salary by city

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Speech-Language Pathologists salary in Chattanooga: questions

How much do speech-language pathologists make an hour in Chattanooga?

$44.16 an hour on average, and $45.07 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level speech-language pathologists salary in Chattanooga?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $60,870 a year and the 25th percentile is $78,840, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the speech-language pathologists take-home pay in Chattanooga?

About $73,454 a year ($6,121 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $91,860. Tennessee has no state income tax.

Do speech-language pathologists earn more in Chattanooga than elsewhere?

The average here is 6% less than the U.S. average for this job ($98,170).

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 29-1127; area Chattanooga, TN-GA (16860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.3%.
  • 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 1.05, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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