Construction Laborers Salary in Tennessee
Construction Laborers in Tennessee have a median of $45,000 a year, below the national $47,120 (−4%); the state ranks 37th of 51 states by median. That is 5% less than the median across all occupations in Tennessee ($47,380). Among neighbouring states, Missouri and Kentucky pay more (up to $56,730 in Missouri) and North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama pay less (down to $36,900 in Alabama). Tennessee employs 26,250 construction laborers, 8.01 per 1,000 jobs, the 14th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.14 is close to the national share.
Tennessee vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Tennessee | Hourly | $16.79 | $18.11 | $21.64 | $23.78 | $28.84 | $22.10 | 26,250 | 8.01 | 1.14 |
| Annual | $34,910 | $37,670 | $45,000 | $49,450 | $59,990 | $45,970 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $16.87 | $18.57 | $22.66 | $28.72 | $37.54 | $25.02 | 1,096,780 | – | – |
| Annual | $35,090 | $38,620 | $47,120 | $59,740 | $78,090 | $52,030 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 37th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 14th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.14
- Jobs per 1,000
- 8.01
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Tennessee's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Tennessee
10 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Tennessee publish a row for construction laborers, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $22.21 | $46,190 | $36,640 | $59,270 | 9,170 | 8.34 | 1.18 |
| Knoxville, TN | $22.18 | $46,130 | $35,640 | $66,630 | 3,640 | 8.57 | 1.22 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $21.81 | $45,370 | $33,890 | $66,240 | 1,430 | 11.95 | 1.69 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $21.54 | $44,810 | $34,970 | $64,750 | 3,940 | 6.44 | 0.91 |
| Jackson, TN | $21.45 | $44,610 | $34,600 | $57,880 | 580 | 6.86 | 0.97 |
| Cleveland, TN | $21.24 | $44,190 | $32,860 | $63,390 | 310 | 7.09 | 1.01 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | $20.80 | $43,260 | $33,130 | $60,170 | 1,800 | 6.69 | 0.95 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | $20.17 | $41,950 | $32,650 | $55,900 | 620 | 6.05 | 0.86 |
| Johnson City, TN | $19.79 | $41,150 | $33,020 | $53,140 | 580 | 7.04 | 1.00 |
| Morristown, TN | $18.46 | $38,400 | $33,470 | $52,730 | 520 | 10.89 | 1.54 |
| West Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $21.17 | $44,040 | $33,810 | $55,690 | 1,030 | 8.76 | 1.24 |
| East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $20.38 | $42,400 | $32,550 | $53,510 | 1,190 | 8.44 | 1.20 |
| North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $19.30 | $40,140 | $32,000 | $57,170 | 950 | 8.30 | 1.18 |
| South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $19.22 | $39,970 | $31,980 | $57,600 | 840 | 7.65 | 1.08 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | $21.64 | $45,000 | 26,250 | 1.14 |
| Alabama | $17.74 | $36,900 | 18,400 | 1.23 |
| Arkansas | $18.09 | $37,630 | 10,650 | 1.16 |
| Georgia | $18.74 | $38,990 | 27,800 | 0.81 |
| Kentucky | $21.98 | $45,710 | 13,280 | 0.94 |
| Missouri | $27.28 | $56,730 | 17,050 | 0.82 |
| Mississippi | $18.13 | $37,710 | 8,800 | 1.07 |
| North Carolina | $21.50 | $44,720 | 35,620 | 1.02 |
| Virginia | $20.94 | $43,560 | 25,830 | 0.89 |
See the national page for Construction Laborers (every state ranked) and the Tennessee wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Tennessee estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.