How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Chattanooga, TN-GA?

The median hourly wage is $24.53. The middle half earn between $18.07 and $30.32 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Chattanooga, TN-GA?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $15.21 an hour ($31,640 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $18.07.

Do auto mechanics make more in Chattanooga or Nashville?

Nashville pays more: the median is $51,020 in Chattanooga and $58,700 in Nashville, a 13% difference.

How does Chattanooga pay compare with the rest of Tennessee?

The Chattanooga median of $51,020 is 1% more than the Tennessee median of $50,290.

Auto mechanic salary in Chattanooga, TN-GA

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Chattanooga, TN-GA area earn a median of $51,020 a year, or $24.53 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $79,300. Statewide, auto mechanics earn a median of $50,290; Chattanooga is 1% above it.

Median yearly pay$51,020

Bottom 10% under$31,640Top 10% over$79,300

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $15.21/hr
Jobs in this area: 1,320
After cost of living: $55,780
Median hourly pay: $24.53/hr
vs U.S. median: +1%
vs Tennessee median: +1%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 16860, Chattanooga, TN-GA). Excludes self-employed auto mechanics. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024. *Starting pay is estimated from the 10th percentile; BLS does not report pay by license level.

Entry-level to master auto mechanic pay

Stage	Yearly pay	Hourly pay
Entry level	$31,640–$37,580$15.21–$18.07/hr
Experienced technician	$51,020$24.53/hr
Master / top earners	$63,060–$79,300$30.32–$38.12/hr

Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.

How Chattanooga, TN-GA compares

Chattanooga ranks 2nd of 10 Tennessee metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics hold about the same share of jobs in the Chattanooga area as nationally: 4.9 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $79,300, is 2.5 times the 10th-percentile wage, $31,640: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Tennessee metro areas

Other trades in Chattanooga, TN-GA

Electrician HVAC technician Welder Lineman Plumber Diesel mechanic Carpenter Heavy equipment operator Roofer Ironworker Millwright

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Chattanooga, TN-GA?: Auto mechanics in the Chattanooga, TN-GA area earn a median of $51,020 a year, or $24.53 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $79,300.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Chattanooga, TN-GA?: The median hourly wage is $24.53. The middle half earn between $18.07 and $30.32 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Chattanooga, TN-GA?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $15.21 an hour ($31,640 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $18.07.
Do auto mechanics make more in Chattanooga or Nashville?: Nashville pays more: the median is $51,020 in Chattanooga and $58,700 in Nashville, a 13% difference.
How does Chattanooga pay compare with the rest of Tennessee?: The Chattanooga median of $51,020 is 1% more than the Tennessee median of $50,290.

About this data

Wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025, occupation 49-3023 (Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics), area code 16860 (Chattanooga, TN-GA). BLS counts wage and salary workers only, so self-employed auto mechanics and business owners aren't included. The cost-of-living figure divides the median by the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity for 2024 (91.5, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures