Work & Business Opportunities in Chattanooga, TN

Are you thinking about moving to Chattanooga? You’re not alone. Over half a million people live in the Chattanooga metro area, and it’s growing fast. According to the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga’s population has grown at double the national average. Between the beautiful natural environment, thriving food and entertainment scene, and growing economy, it’s easy to understand why. 

International and local companies are investing in Chattanooga at unprecedented rates. Industries ranging from manufacturing to healthcare to hospitality are looking for a dedicated, innovative workforce right here in Scenic City. If you’re looking for work in Chattanooga, here’s a guide to the local job market and economy.

Job Market & Industry Landscape

Chattanooga was the first city in the country to launch a municipal fiber network, signaling to residents and companies alike that the city was a place to develop cutting-edge tech and innovate. This mindset is behind every major economic project in the 2020s. 

Economic Diversification: Growing Company Investment

Since 2020, the greater Chattanooga area has seen over $4.8 billion invested in economic development through new job creation and infrastructure expansion. Industry titans turn to Chattanooga for resources, opportunity, and a motivated workforce. 

• Advanced Manufacturing: Chattanooga continues to be a center of development and manufacturing, with the nuclear-focused fabricator, Master Machine, investing $11.7 million and creating 44 new jobs in the city. Battery manufacturer NOVONIX received nearly $1 billion in conditional funds to build a third plant in Chattanooga and expand operations. 
• Healthcare Expansion: Residents well beyond the greater Chattanooga area travel here for specialized treatment and continuing care. To accommodate this growing population, several new projects, including the $98 million Parkridge Medical Center patient tower expansion and the new 180,000-square-foot CommonSpirit Memorial Hospital, have been completed or are planned for completion in 2026.
• Entertainment: Over 11 million annual tourists and a growing resident population contribute to a thriving food, culture, and entertainment landscape. Mixed-use developments like The Bend have received $47.5 million in loans in 2026, including plans for a $300 million Sunset Amphitheater development.
• Remote Work: Between the stunning parks and waterways and reliable fiber network, Chattanooga is an attractive place to work remotely, ranking in the top two remote work cities nationwide. Over 16% of Chattanooga residents work remotely, and that number is increasing. 

Top Employers in Chattanooga

Manufacturing has long powered Chattanooga’s economy, along with healthcare, higher education, technology, and corporate services. These industries provide the economic stability and high-skill career opportunities that have helped keep Chattanooga’s population growth steady.

All employee counts listed below are full-time employees, but keep in mind that many of these major companies also hire part-time, temp, and seasonal workers.

Advanced Manufacturing and Automotive Manufacturing

For decades, Chattanooga’s local economy grew more slowly than the rest of the United States. The growth of the advanced and automotive manufacturing sectors has changed everything, with employment increasing by 50% from 2010 to 2023. 

• Qcells: The Dalton location, just 30 minutes north of Chattanooga, employs over 3,000 workers at its solar panel factory and continues to expand. 
• Roper Corporation: The appliance manufacturer and subsidiary of GE Appliances employs over 2,500 in the Chattanooga area. 

• Volkswagen: The Chattanooga division employs around 4,000 people and has invested over $4.3 billion in the city since 2019.  
• West Star Aviation: Employing over 500 and planning a $32 million expansion that will create 200 new jobs in airplane maintenance.
• Tennessee Valley Authority: This public energy provider employs over 3,700 residents.

Food, Hospitality, and Entertainment 

The leisure and hospitality sector employs over 11% of Chattanooga’s residents across local restaurants, hotels, entertainment hubs, and more. 

• Humanist Hospitality LLC: This hospitality company manages a range of Chattanooga hotels and restaurants, employing over 700 people. 

Professional Services and Government 

Chattanooga maintains a strong foundation in professional services, logistics, and public-sector employment, providing residents with a wide range of stable career opportunities across both private and government industries.

• Unum Group: This Fortune 500 insurance company is headquartered in Chattanooga and employs over 3,200 people. 
• Chattanooga City and County Government: In total, the city and Hamilton County government employ over 4,400 residents.  
• Kenco Group: This supply chain logistics company employs over 860 employees and is headquartered in Chattanooga. 

Healthcare

Chattanooga has a strong regional healthcare industry that’s supplemented by expansion and new care companies, such as Valerie Health, which will bring more than 100 jobs. 

• BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee: This national healthcare financing company employs over 6,000 Chattanooga residents, and regularly invests in the community, including the new $4.8M Healthy Place park the company will build by Finley Stadium.
• Erlanger Health: The health system employs over 5,500 residents, and is expanding, with a new 52,000-square-foot building planned for Erlanger East Hospital.
• CHI Memorial: The hospital system, rebranded as CommonSpirit Health in 2026, employs over 3,600 people across its two locations and provides lifesaving care to tens of thousands of residents.  
• Cigna HealthCare: Employs over 1,300 residents across the greater Chattanooga area. 

Education

Between the growing school district and the long-standing university systems, Chattanooga is a true regional hub for education. 

• Hamilton County Schools: Over 5,500 employees work throughout Chattanooga’s elementary and secondary schools. 
• The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga: The university employs over 1,500 full-time staff and operates a Center for Professional Education to help residents develop new professional skills and advance in their careers. 
• Southern Adventist University: With nearly 400 employees, the university maintains a strong presence in the city at large and especially in its home neighborhood of Collegedale. 
• Chattanooga State Community College: The two-year community college has over 550 employees and nearly as many part-time staff. 

Pro-Tip for Career Scouting

The Chattanooga region continues to diversify its economy through advanced manufacturing, healthcare expansion, education, and remote-work infrastructure investments. These are some of the top organizations to keep an eye on when considering a move. 

Company/Organization	Industry	Approx. Employees	Highlight
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee	Healthcare	6,000+	One of the region’s largest employers and a major community investor.
Erlanger Health	Healthcare	5,500+	Expanding healthcare footprint with major new facilities planned.
Hamilton County Schools	Education	5,500+	Largest public education employer in the Chattanooga area.
Volkswagen	Automotive Manufacturing	4,000+	Major economic driver with billions invested locally since 2019.
Tennessee Valley Authority	Energy	3,700+	Public energy provider with a strong regional employment base.
CHI Memorial	Healthcare	3,600+	Regional hospital system expanding under the CommonSpirit Health brand.

Remote Work

For remote workers, Chattanooga is the full package: affordable living, mountain views, walkable urban districts, and nationally recognized fiber infrastructure. While the outdoor lifestyle attracts attention first, it is the city’s municipal fiber network that truly makes location-flexible living practical.

Connectivity

Many scenic cities still struggle with bandwidth limitations or inconsistent service, especially across hilly regions. Chattanooga was the first city in the United States to launch citywide gig-speed internet through EPB Fiber, ensuring that every resident, regardless of location, had access to fast, reliable connectivity. 

That same infrastructure continues to power everything from advanced manufacturing and healthcare systems to remote workers and tech startups.

• The Speeds: EPB Fiber offers symmetrical high-speed internet with widespread gig-level service, providing citywide connectivity from 300 Mbps up to 25 Gigs.
• The Reliability: Chattanooga’s municipally owned fiber grid was originally designed to support the city’s smart utility infrastructure, creating a resilient network with fewer outages and enterprise-level stability. The system has prevented hundreds of millions of outage minutes while supporting the growing remote workforce across the region.

Whether you’re running Zoom meetings from Northshore, uploading large creative files from a home office in St. Elmo, or managing a distributed company remotely, Chattanooga’s network is built to handle high-demand digital work.

Coworking Spaces

It doesn’t matter how perfect your home office is; sometimes you just need to get out of the house. There are plenty of coworking spaces in Chattanooga where you can conduct meetings, meet other like-minded remote workers, and spark creativity once again. 

• The Common House (Southside): Part social club, part networking group, part workspace, the Common House comes with an entire coworking floor, pool, bar, and restaurant. 
• Society of Work (Northshore): This spot is more than desk space. You can rent a conference room to host clients or use Society of Work as your mailing address. Plus, there’s another office downtown. 
• e|spaces (Off Riverside Drive): With locations across the South, e|spaces has meeting rooms, private offices, and modern, open coworking spaces. 

Work-Life Integration

As a medium-sized city, Chattanooga is uniquely traversable and yet full of amenities for remote work. Start your workday at one of the coworking spots, eat lunch along the Tennessee Riverpark, and finish with a work happy hour at a local bar like The Rosecomb. 

Entrepreneurship & Business Opportunities

Chattanooga isn’t just a city for established Fortune 500 companies. It’s a place where startups thrive, and there’s plenty of opportunity for growth. Economic mobility is encouraged through city and state resources, along with dedicated Chattanooga business owners. 

Startup Ecosystem & Support Centers

The local business community is close-knit and approachable, making it easy for companies of all sizes to build meaningful connections and get involved.

• The Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC): This network of local centers offers no-cost virtual and in-person consulting, training, and resources to help for-profit businesses start, grow, and sustain success.
• The City of Chattanooga Small Business Resource Center (SBRC): At SBRC, entrepreneur support organizations host free training, events, and resources, helping entrepreneurs looking to start or grow a business in Chattanooga.

Diversity, Networking & Community Empowerment

There’s something for everyone in Chattanooga, and business owners of all industries and backgrounds have a place to grow and innovate. 

• UTC Small and Minority-Owned Business Program: This positive business affirmative action program aims to award a fair share of business contracts to qualified vendors while helping potential suppliers develop the capabilities needed to grow. 
• Chattanooga Network Connection: The organization connects entrepreneurs through trusted relationships, shared experience, and purposeful networking that drives business growth.
• Chattanooga Technology Council (ChaTech): This networking group connects Chattanooga’s tech community with the resources needed for growth, promoting innovation and collaboration to strengthen the region’s tech ecosystem.

Plan a Career Scouting Trip

Planning a career and physical move is a big decision, and a career scouting trip is a good way to vet your prospective city. Plan a trip that’s part mini-vacation and part career assessment. 

• Neighborhood Hunt: Work from the neighborhoods at the top of your list. For example, you can spend a workday at The Common House in Southside, grab lunch at nearby Chi-Chi’s Charred Chicken, and experience the neighborhood vibe.
• Commute Test: Practice your possible daily commutes during rush hour, driving the I-24 corridor or US Highway 27, depending on where you’re most likely to live and work. 
• Work-Life Balance Practice: There’s plenty to do in Chattanooga, from catching a concert at The Signal, then grabbing a drink at Elsie’s Daughter, to hiking through Renaissance Park or exploring the greater Appalachian chain. Experience premier East Tennessee work-life balance for yourself.

Planning your scouting trip? Here’s how to get started.

More to Devour: Things To Do + Food & Drink

• Be sure to explore our Ultimate Chattanooga Bucket List, packed with 75+ local attractions, outdoor adventures, and food and drink spots that make the perfect addition to your professional scouting trip.
• If food is your forte, feast on our guide to the Best Restaurants in Chattanooga, TN, filled with family-friendly recommendations, local watering holes and hidden gems.