Average Salaries in Memphis, TN-MS-AR
Explore salaries across 567 occupations in Memphis, TN-MS-AR. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $65.1K, -1.0% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 567 occupations and 597,250 total jobs in Memphis, TN-MS-AR.
How the metro compares
Wages in Memphis, TN-MS-AR track close to the national average. Pay for most occupations here is similar to what workers earn nationally.
Memphis, TN-MS-AR is a mid-sized metro labor market.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Neurologists. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Memphis, TN-MS-AR
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in Memphis, TN-MS-AR
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Neurologists | $536K | 30 |
| Physicians, All Other | $389K | 950 |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $325.5K | 60 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $298.6K | 340 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $256.2K | 360 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $243.2K | 200 |
| Dentists, General | $238K | 280 |
| Chief Executives | $196.7K | 680 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $179.7K | N/A |
| Pediatricians, General | $168.2K | 120 |
Largest occupations in Memphis, TN-MS-AR
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 37,750 | $39.5K |
| Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 19,460 | $63.1K |
| Retail Salespersons | 17,050 | $32.6K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 15,320 | $27.5K |
| Registered Nurses | 13,760 | $81.5K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 12,200 | $37.3K |
| Cashiers | 10,840 | $29.2K |
| General And Operations Managers | 9,730 | $102.5K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 9,360 | $44.1K |
| Office Clerks, General | 9,060 | $38.6K |
What Memphis, TN-MS-AR specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Memphis, TN-MS-AR than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Memphis, TN-MS-AR
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation Workers, All Other | 8.17 | $56.9K |
| Entertainment Attendants And Related Workers, All Other | 6.33 | $32.7K |
| Tax Examiners And Collectors, And Revenue Agents | 6.17 | $49.4K |
| Coil Winders, Tapers, And Finishers | 4.77 | $42.1K |
| Cargo And Freight Agents | 4.34 | $55.9K |
| Conveyor Operators And Tenders | 4.21 | $38.1K |
| Couriers And Messengers | 4.07 | $44K |
| Aircraft Mechanics And Service Technicians | 3.94 | $92.2K |
| Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, And Still Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 3.93 | $50.5K |
| Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs | 3.67 | $49.9K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Memphis, TN-MS-AR
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.