How much do Surgical Assistants make in Chattanooga, TN-GA?

Percentile spread

For Surgical Assistants, the published 10th percentile is $61,500 and the 90th percentile is $109,580. The difference is $48,080, which is 62.0% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $62,390 to the 75th at $96,720, covers $34,330.

The mean annual wage is $81,770, which sits above the median of $77,570. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Chattanooga, TN-GA median is 16.1% higher than the national median of $66,800 for Surgical Assistants. In 2024 national prices the local median is $84,809, which is 27% higher than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 5% lower than the Tennessee median of $81,640.

Chattanooga, TN-GA covers more than one state. The state comparison uses Tennessee, the primary state on the BLS area record.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Chattanooga, TN-GA is 91.464, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $77,570 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Surgical Assistants at $84,809 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

7 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Surgical Assistants. Chattanooga, TN-GA ranks 3rd of 8 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Gainesville, GA is 101 miles away, with a median of $48,540 and employment of 60. That median is 37.4% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $50,162, against $84,809 here.
• Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN is 105 miles away, with a median of $87,080 and employment of 340. That median is 12.3% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $90,390, against $84,809 here.
• Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA is 106 miles away, with a median of $60,720 and employment of 370. That median is 21.7% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $60,685, against $84,809 here.

Employment share

Surgical Assistants accounts for 0.04% of wage-and-salary employment in Chattanooga, TN-GA (110 of 268,750). Nationally the occupation is 0.01% of employment (22,270 of 155,495,730). The local share is 2.86 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.