Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary in Tennessee
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in Tennessee have a median of $38,160 a year, below the national $40,240 (−5%); the state ranks 40th of 51 states by median. That is 19% less than the median across all occupations in Tennessee ($47,380). Among neighbouring states, Kentucky, Virginia, Missouri, Georgia and North Carolina pay more (up to $42,770 in Kentucky) and Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas pay less (down to $35,920 in Arkansas). Tennessee employs 105,870 laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand, 32.3 per 1,000 jobs, the 9th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.70 means the occupation is more concentrated in Tennessee than nationally.
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 | $14.53 | $17.09 | $18.35 | $21.60 | $23.28 | $19.24 | 105,870 | 32.29 | 1.70 |
| Annual | $30,230 | $35,550 | $38,160 | $44,920 | $48,420 | $40,020 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $15.03 | $17.35 | $19.35 | $22.56 | $26.51 | $20.32 | 2,950,280 | – | – |
| Annual | $31,270 | $36,090 | $40,240 | $46,920 | $55,140 | $42,260 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 40th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 9th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.70
- Jobs per 1,000
- 32.29
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 laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand, 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 | $19.13 | $39,790 | $31,960 | $50,260 | 33,120 | 30.13 | 1.59 |
| Morristown, TN | $19.02 | $39,550 | $29,920 | $66,460 | 1,510 | 32.01 | 1.69 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $19.00 | $39,510 | $32,600 | $48,040 | 37,750 | 61.72 | 3.25 |
| Cleveland, TN | $18.49 | $38,460 | $30,210 | $44,850 | 1,900 | 44.28 | 2.33 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | $18.19 | $37,830 | $30,880 | $47,350 | 7,730 | 28.78 | 1.52 |
| Knoxville, TN | $17.98 | $37,400 | $29,580 | $48,550 | 10,120 | 23.84 | 1.26 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | $17.82 | $37,070 | $29,380 | $47,890 | 2,580 | 25.03 | 1.32 |
| Jackson, TN | $17.65 | $36,710 | $29,780 | $46,560 | 2,410 | 28.50 | 1.50 |
| Johnson City, TN | $17.28 | $35,930 | $28,470 | $45,740 | 1,340 | 16.38 | 0.86 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $16.97 | $35,300 | $29,080 | $46,870 | 2,610 | 21.82 | 1.15 |
| South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $17.61 | $36,630 | $29,030 | $48,130 | 3,320 | 30.13 | 1.59 |
| East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $17.45 | $36,290 | $27,570 | $47,430 | 3,300 | 23.40 | 1.23 |
| West Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $17.42 | $36,230 | $27,720 | $47,520 | 3,110 | 26.55 | 1.40 |
| North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $17.10 | $35,570 | $27,300 | $46,190 | 2,700 | 23.46 | 1.24 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | $18.35 | $38,160 | 105,870 | 1.70 |
| Alabama | $17.63 | $36,670 | 36,140 | 0.90 |
| Arkansas | $17.27 | $35,920 | 21,430 | 0.87 |
| Georgia | $18.50 | $38,480 | 137,580 | 1.48 |
| Kentucky | $20.56 | $42,770 | 57,930 | 1.53 |
| Missouri | $18.79 | $39,080 | 43,050 | 0.77 |
| Mississippi | $17.50 | $36,400 | 30,750 | 1.39 |
| North Carolina | $18.38 | $38,230 | 116,720 | 1.24 |
| Virginia | $18.94 | $39,380 | 58,000 | 0.74 |
See the national page for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand (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.