top 12 jobs and growing industries in memphis, tennessee.

Memphis is known for blues and barbecue, Elvis Presley and Beale Street. But it’s much more than that. Founded in 1819 along the banks of the Mississippi River, the city has a rich history in the American civil rights movement and has become a modern-day hub for a variety of industries, including transportation and logistics, manufacturing and healthcare. In fact, the city has a civilian labor force of just over 630,000 and some 664,000 non-farm jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Due in part to its strategic location in West Tennessee, Memphis is a shipping and distribution hub for everything from paper goods to medical instruments. The city is the nation’s third-busiest trucking corridor, and it has one of the world’s busiest cargo airports. There are 108,490 workers in the transportation and materials moving sector, with an average annual salary of $43k. Major corporations like FedEx, AutoZone and International Paper call Memphis home. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is also headquartered here, anchoring a thriving healthcare and life sciences industry, which employs roughly 88,700 professionals.

Here’s everything you need to know about the top 12 jobs in Memphis, from manufacturing to healthcare, including salary ranges. Because Randstad research indicates compensation in Memphis trends just below the national average, salaries listed are from the mid range of our data.

Order picker is one of the most popular warehouse jobs in Memphis, with around 18,000 positions in the city. These individuals are responsible for ensuring orders are filled accurately and quickly, so they must be highly organized and able to handle the physical demands of the role, like standing for long periods of time. Wages for order pickers range between $15 and $17 per hour.

Top employers in Memphis aren’t limited to manufacturing and logistics giants. There are also corporations like First Horizon Bank and Kroger, plus local colleges like the University of Memphis, that need the support of office clerks. With nearly 10,000 clerks employed in the city, it’s one of the top administrative roles here. Expect to make anywhere between $33k and $42k.

St. Jude might be the most notable healthcare facility in town, but it’s far from the only one. The Memphis Medical District downtown is home to this renowned research institution, as well as the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare and Baptist Memorial Health Care, to name a few. Like any major city, there are also numerous grocery and drug stores requiring pharmacists. Salaries range from $125k to $136k.

More than 80 medical device companies have operations in the city. With the prominence of this type of manufacturing, it makes sense that machinist roles are among the top jobs in Memphis. Working on intricate parts like those used in medical devices, machinists are responsible for fabrication, assembling and repair. They generally make between $21 and $26 per hour.

Maintenance technicians play a critical role in keeping manufacturing running smoothly in Memphis. Responsible for correcting mechanical or electrical issues that can cause downtime, they help minimize lost profits. Nationwide, employment of machinery maintenance workers is expected to grow 14 percent in the decade up to 2031, well above the 5 percent average for all occupations. Wages in Memphis are around $26 to $29 per hour.

The installation and repair industry employs around 28,000 people in Memphis, including nearly 2,000 HVAC mechanics and installers. Those in HVAC jobs in Memphis, Tennessee can expect to make around $23 per hour.