Quick answer: Industrial Engineers in the Chattanooga area earn a median $99,410 per year, below the national median of $102,440, and the metro employs about 930 of them (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Metric | Chattanooga metro | Tennessee | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $99,410 | $99,080 | $102,440 |
| 10th percentile | $75,380 | $72,200 | $74,370 |
| 25th percentile | $82,680 | $80,750 | $83,600 |
| 75th percentile | $116,850 | $117,100 | $129,250 |
| 90th percentile | $143,000 | $132,040 | $159,860 |
| Employment | 930 | 7,440 | 365,740 |
| Location quotient | 1.47 | - | 1.00 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Chattanooga, TN-GA metropolitan statistical area.
The Chattanooga median of $99,410 is below the national median of $102,440, and above the Tennessee statewide median of $99,080 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 1.47 means industrial engineers are more concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Industrial engineering demand tracks the region’s manufacturing base, distribution and logistics networks, and large healthcare or service operations that run process improvement teams.
| Metro area | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville | $102,540 | 2,000 |
| Memphis | $100,480 | 1,540 |
| Knoxville | $95,750 | 960 |
| Clarksville | $91,000 | 340 |
| Kingsport | $98,000 | 280 |
| Jackson | $94,060 | 200 |
| Johnson City | $84,160 | 170 |
| Morristown | $97,310 | 140 |
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Industrial engineering sits on the same Professional Engineer path the state boards administer, through an ABET-accredited degree, the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering exam, qualifying experience and the PE exam in industrial and systems engineering. In practice the license is required less often here than in civil or environmental work, because most industrial engineers are employed inside manufacturing and logistics operations under what is commonly called the industrial exemption. The credentials employers ask for more often are Lean and Six Sigma certifications, which are issued by private bodies rather than by any state.
See the Tennessee licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state engineering licensing board.
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
We first gather the schools closest to the city or state page you are viewing, then rank that local group by BOC Score, with the highest at the top. The BOC Score is computed from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data; schools without enough data to score appear last.
Schools without enough federal outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
The median annual wage for industrial engineers in the Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area is $99,410, below the national median of $102,440 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area employs about 930 industrial engineers (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Industrial engineering sits on the same Professional Engineer path the state boards administer, through an ABET-accredited degree, the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering exam, qualifying experience and the PE exam in industrial and systems engineering. In practice the license is required less often here than in civil or environmental work, because most industrial engineers are employed inside manufacturing and logistics operations under what is commonly called the industrial exemption. The credentials employers ask for more often are Lean and Six Sigma certifications, which are issued by private bodies rather than by any state. Confirm current requirements with your state engineering licensing board.
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies your state engineering licensing board.
The Chattanooga metro median is $99,410 against a statewide median of $99,080 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
