Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary Salary
The median pay for a art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary in Chattanooga, TN-GA is $61,970/year, per BLS data. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $124K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.46), which stretches that salary to about $67,756 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,390/month, about 32.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $62K get you in Chattanooga?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Chattanooga’s Regional Price Parity (91.46). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries
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What this looks like in Chattanooga
Pay for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary in Chattanooga runs about 21% below the U.S. median of $79K. Rent runs $1,390/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.46 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries in metros near Chattanooga, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $67K | $70K |
| Knoxville | $78K | $84K |
| Memphis | $74K | $80K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $79K | $79K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Chattanooga, TN-GA
Entry-level art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $62K. Top earners bring in $124K or more, a $78K spread from bottom to top.
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $103K | +31% | 150 |
| California | $99K | +26% | 9,820 |
| New York | $99K | +26% | 14,920 |
| Vermont | $98K | +25% | 180 |
| Rhode Island | $98K | +24% | 440 |
| District of Columbia | $97K | +23% | 350 |
| Massachusetts | $86K | +9% | 4,960 |
| Maryland | $86K | +9% | 1,280 |
| Michigan | $83K | +6% | 2,410 |
| New Jersey | $80K | +2% | 3,300 |
| Georgia | $80K | +2% | 1,910 |
| Maine | $80K | +2% | 340 |
| New Hampshire | $79K | +1% | 440 |
| Louisiana | $79K | +0% | 720 |
| Connecticut | $79K | -0% | 1,430 |
| Montana | $78K | -0% | 190 |
| Ohio | $78K | -1% | 3,940 |
| Washington | $78K | -1% | 1,400 |
| Minnesota | $78K | -1% | 1,310 |
| Iowa | $78K | -1% | 910 |
| Wisconsin | $78K | -1% | 1,840 |
| Texas | $78K | -1% | 6,730 |
| Pennsylvania | $77K | -2% | 4,170 |
| Oregon | $77K | -2% | 1,440 |
| New Mexico | $76K | -3% | 380 |
| Indiana | $76K | -3% | 1,920 |
| Missouri | $76K | -3% | 1,450 |
| Nebraska | $75K | -4% | 490 |
| Virginia | $75K | -5% | 2,840 |
| North Carolina | $74K | -6% | 2,880 |
| West Virginia | $73K | -7% | 340 |
| Idaho | $72K | -8% | 250 |
| Arizona | $72K | -8% | 1,040 |
| Tennessee | $72K | -8% | 1,370 |
| Colorado | $70K | -11% | 1,950 |
| North Dakota | $67K | -15% | 130 |
| Utah | $66K | -16% | 790 |
| Kentucky | $64K | -18% | 900 |
| Florida | $64K | -19% | 2,490 |
| Alabama | $64K | -19% | 900 |
| South Dakota | $63K | -19% | 200 |
| Illinois | $63K | -20% | 4,170 |
| South Carolina | $62K | -21% | 1,290 |
| Oklahoma | $62K | -21% | 760 |
| Kansas | $61K | -22% | 640 |
| Arkansas | $61K | -23% | 360 |
| Mississippi | $61K | -23% | 540 |
| Wyoming | $59K | -25% | 180 |
| Nevada | $53K | -33% | 260 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Chattanooga numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary afford a 2BR apartment alone in Chattanooga?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $62K, rent takes 32.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,390/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries in Chattanooga?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,736/month. At HUD’s $1,390/month FMR, rent would take 51% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary a high-paying job in Chattanooga?
Local pay runs 21% below the national median — $62K here vs. $79K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Chattanooga compare to the national average for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries?
Chattanooga pays $62K median vs. the U.S. average of $79K — that’s -21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.46), the purchasing-power equivalent is $68K — below the national median.
How much do art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries make in Chattanooga, TN-GA?
The median is $61,970 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,600, and experienced art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries can clear $123,980. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $62K enough to live in Chattanooga?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,319/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,390/month, which eats 32.2% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary salary go in Chattanooga?
Chattanooga has a Regional Price Parity of 91.46 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary salary is worth about $67,756 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondaries get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.