SOC 51-4041

CNC Machinist Salary in Chattanooga, TN-GA (2026)

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + TN
COL Index: 112.89 (+12.9% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 79.3% Realized
$40,871 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $51,540 $24.78/hr
Effective Tax Drag 14.7% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$7,577 $291.40/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $24.78 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$3,092/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$371/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$3,634
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,195
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$747
Tennessee Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$0
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$40,871 ($1,571.96 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Chattanooga, TN-GA CNC Machinist Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $51,540
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $37.2k 25th $45.8k Median: $51,540 50th (Median) $51.5k 75th $61.5k 90th $69.9k You: $51,540
10th (Entry) $37,230 $17.90/hr
25th (Junior) $45,790 $22.01/hr
50th (Median) $51,540 $24.78/hr
75th (Senior) $61,540 $29.59/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $69,870 $33.59/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for CNC Machinist in Chattanooga, TN-GA
1
CNC Operator TraineeMachine loading, part deburring, basic micrometer inspection
$31,582$15.18/hr · 0-2 Years
2
CNC MachinistG-code/M-code setups, CNC milling/turning, tooling offset adjustments
$47,373$22.78/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior CNC ProgrammerMastercam, multi-axis (5-axis) programming, CAD/CAM surface modeling
$63,164$30.37/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Machine Shop SupervisorProduction scheduling, quality auditing, machine fleet maintenance
$80,709$38.80/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Chattanooga, TN-GA medianView National CNC Machinist Salary Data
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Tool and Die Makers+$5,300/yr
National median: $64,050
Skill overlap: 94%
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators-$8,060/yr
National median: $50,690
Skill overlap: 93%
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic-$5,950/yr
National median: $52,800
Skill overlap: 93%
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic-$8,130/yr
National median: $50,620
Skill overlap: 86%
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Chattanooga, TN-GA under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
36% of Net Income
⚠️ Cost-Burdened (Exceeds 30% Rule)
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,231/month Requires minimum annual gross of $49,240
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,340/month Requires minimum annual gross of $53,600
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $24.97/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $20.79/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Chattanooga, TN-GA.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$51,540-$7,577$40,871$1,571.96
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$61,204-$9,406$48,126$1,850.99
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$70,868-$11,247$55,369$2,129.56
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$80,531-$13,985$61,715$2,373.65
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$90,195-$16,722$68,061$2,617.73
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

CNC Machinist in Chattanooga, TN-GA: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and Tennessee tax codes.

Market Baseline
$51,540/yr
$24.78/hr · SOC 51-4041
Statutory Tax Drag
14.7% Effective
-$7,577 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
36% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,175/mo
Post-$1,231/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 51-4041
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

CNC Machinist in Chattanooga, TN-GA: Market Snapshot

CNC Machinist roles in Chattanooga, TN-GA report a median annual wage of $51,540, 12.3% below the national median of $58,750. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $37,230 to $69,870, and HUD’s $1,231 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 28.7% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $24.97 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for CNC Machinist

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Urban Honolulu, HI$84,410+63.8%
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL$82,690+60.4%
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$80,620+56.4%
Barnstable Town, MA$77,650+50.7%
Lake Charles, LA$75,580+46.6%
Anchorage, AK$75,040+45.6%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$74,560+44.7%
Bismarck, ND$74,090+43.8%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$72,060+39.8%
Flagstaff, AZ$71,620+39.0%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Chattanooga, TN-GA

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$209,990$100.96/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$163,720$78.71/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$152,980$73.55/hr
Financial Manager$151,530$72.85/hr
Administrative Services Managers$130,540$62.76/hr
Human Resources Managers$129,900$62.45/hr
Marketing Managers$124,360$59.79/hr
Purchasing Managers$123,750$59.50/hr
Industrial Production Managers$121,670$58.50/hr
Physician Assistant$121,600$58.46/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 361 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

CNC Machinist Salary in Chattanooga, TN-GA (2026) Overview

CNC Machinist median pay in Chattanooga, TN-GA is $51,540 a year ($24.78/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents & living. Official 2026 economic data for CNC Machinist in Chattanooga, TN-GA compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a CNC Machinist in Chattanooga, TN-GA?

The median annual wage is $51,540 ($24.78 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $37,230 and $69,870. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a CNC Machinist in Chattanooga, TN-GA after taxes?

On the median wage of $51,540, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $43,592 a year ($3,633 a month) after $7,948 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 15.42%, using 2026 tax rules.