Cost of hiring in Memphis, TN-MS
Customer Support Specialist is the largest of these 17 jobs in Memphis, with about 9,360 people1. Medians run from $34,530 a year for virtual receptionists to $85,130 for project coordinators.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Memphis
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Manager | +2.6% | 8,710 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -0.2% | 550 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -1.5% | 9,360 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -3.3% | 5,500 | |
| HR Assistant | -4.2% | 960 | |
| Bookkeeper | -4.5% | 6,320 | |
| Accountant | -8.0% | 4,390 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -8.3% | 520 | |
| Recruiter | -8.9% | 3,650 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -9.1% | 1,880 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -9.2% | 2,100 | |
| Paralegal | -9.6% | 1,120 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -11.7% | 540 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -13.0% | 7,180 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -15.5% | 3,330 | |
| Project Coordinator | -16.8% | 2,960 | |
| Executive Assistant | -16.9% | 870 |
The employer pays more than the wage: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, so a $44,090 median for customer support specialists, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $56,890 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Memphis against the US
Memphis pays above the US median for only one of the 17 roles, office managers (+2.6%), and below it for 15, furthest for executive assistants (-16.9%). For data entry specialists it is within 1% of the US figure. The middle gap across all 17 is -8.9%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for office managers, #87 of 519 areas by median pay; its lowest is for e-commerce order specialists, #202 of 287.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Memphis has more HR assistants (1.6% of these jobs here, against 0.6% nationally) and medical administrative assistants (12.0% against 6.1%), and fewer executive assistants (1.5% against 2.9%) and marketing specialists (3.1% against 5.7%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Wildwood-The Villages, FL is nearest, at -9.0%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salisbury, MD | -8.8% | 15 | 5,870 |
| Topeka, KS | -8.8% | 17 | 14,100 |
| Dover, DE | -8.9% | 16 | 6,780 |
| Memphis, TN-MS | -8.9% (this area) | 17 | 59,940 |
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | -9.0% | 15 | 3,510 |
| Columbus, IN | -9.0% | 14 | 3,430 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Memphis span $34,270–$110,480, the widest band (3.2×); HR assistants the narrowest, $38,850–$61,340. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 9 of 17 roles, sales development representatives most ($37,980–$148,840 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives, marketing specialists and medical administrative assistants: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($66,520 against a $59,140 median for sales development representatives).
Memphis against Tennessee
Against Tennessee as a whole, Memphis pays more for 8 of 17 roles, led by office managers (+7.4%) and HR assistants (+6.0%), and less for 4, most of all executive assistants (-6.7%). It has the highest median in Tennessee for HR assistants.
Other areas in Tennessee
By jobs in these roles, Memphis is #2 of 14 areas in Tennessee. The table shows the areas closest to it in size, from Nashville-Murfreesboro to the East Tennessee nonmetro area.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN | 133,260 | 17 |
| Knoxville, TN | 46,920 | 17 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | 28,700 | 17 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | 11,540 | 17 |
| North Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | 10,290 | 17 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | 9,360 | 17 |
| Johnson City, TN | 9,340 | 17 |
| West Tennessee (Nonmetro) | 9,320 | 17 |
| South Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | 8,960 | 17 |
| East Tennessee (Nonmetro) | 8,610 | 17 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Memphis?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $85,130 a year, about $109,845 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $34,530.
Is hiring in Memphis cheaper than the US median?
For 15 of the 17 roles, yes, most of all executive assistants (-16.9%). One pays more than the US median: office managers (+2.6%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.