BLS metro-level wage data places Food Preparation Workers pay in Chattanooga, TN-GA at a median of $30,300 per year ($14.57/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $35,320, Chattanooga pays 14% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 1,780 food preparation workerss are employed across the Chattanooga MSA in SOC 35-2021.

The Chattanooga pay distribution spans from $22,430 at the 10th percentile to $39,070 at the 90th — a 1.7× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $24,180 and the 75th at $36,170, so half of Chattanooga-based food preparation workerss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Chattanooga, TN-GA covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide TN data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.