Quick answer: The Chattanooga metro employs about 510 mechanical engineers (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through your state engineering licensing board.
Licensing
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Mechanical engineering follows the same Professional Engineer path the state boards administer: an ABET-accredited degree, the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering exam, qualifying experience, then the PE exam in mechanical engineering. What differs from civil is how often the license is actually needed. Many mechanical engineers work in manufacturing and product design under what is commonly called the industrial exemption and never license, while those who seal building systems drawings or hold responsible charge do. Whether a state accepts an ABET ETAC (engineering technology) degree toward licensure varies, and so do comity rules between states.
See the Tennessee licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state engineering licensing board.
Schools Near You
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.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 9 schools
within 221 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
9 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Mechanical Engineers in the Chattanooga area earn a median $106,660 per year, above the national median of $104,110 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Mechanical Engineering Pay in Chattanooga, TN
Metric
Chattanooga metro
Tennessee
National
Median annual wage
$106,660
$99,550
$104,110
10th percentile
$75,880
$64,150
$73,990
25th percentile
$87,400
$78,730
$84,130
75th percentile
$130,410
$127,500
$132,590
90th percentile
$157,030
$156,150
$164,340
Employment
510
3,930
296,810
Location quotient
1.0
-
1.00
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Chattanooga, TN-GA metropolitan statistical area.
What the Numbers Say About This Market
The Chattanooga median of $106,660 is above the national median of $104,110, and above the Tennessee statewide median of $99,550 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 1.0 means mechanical 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.
Mechanical engineering demand follows the region’s mix of manufacturing plants, building systems design and energy work, so the local picture can differ sharply from the national one.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do mechanical engineers make in Chattanooga?
The median annual wage for mechanical engineers in the Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area is $106,660, above the national median of $104,110 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many mechanical engineers work in the Chattanooga area?
The Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area employs about 510 mechanical engineers (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Do mechanical engineers in Chattanooga need a license?
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Mechanical engineering follows the same Professional Engineer path the state boards administer: an ABET-accredited degree, the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering exam, qualifying experience, then the PE exam in mechanical engineering. What differs from civil is how often the license is actually needed. Many mechanical engineers work in manufacturing and product design under what is commonly called the industrial exemption and never license, while those who seal building systems drawings or hold responsible charge do. Whether a state accepts an ABET ETAC (engineering technology) degree toward licensure varies, and so do comity rules between states. Confirm current requirements with your state engineering licensing board.
Can I study mechanical engineering online from Chattanooga?
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.
Is Chattanooga a better market than the rest of Tennessee?
The Chattanooga metro median is $106,660 against a statewide median of $99,550 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Mechanical Engineers (SOC 17-2141), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
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/.
