BLS metro-level wage data places Special Education Teachers, Middle School pay in Chattanooga, TN-GA at a median of $60,360 per year, drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $66,810, Chattanooga pays 10% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 220 special education teachers, middle schools are employed across the Chattanooga MSA in SOC 25-2057.

The Chattanooga pay distribution spans from $47,270 at the 10th percentile to $76,600 at the 90th — a 1.6× 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 $48,170 and the 75th at $67,130, so half of Chattanooga-based special education teachers, middle schools 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.