Tennessee Manufacturing Facts

Manufacturers in Tennessee account for 15.32% of the total output in the state, employing 11.47% of the workforce. Total output from manufacturing was $56.01 billion in 2018. In addition, there were an average of 357,000 manufacturing employees in Tennessee in 2019, with an average annual compensation of $70,521.26 in 2018.

Manufacturing Output and Firms

Total Manufacturing Output ($billions, 2018)
$56.01
(Percent share of total gross state product)
15.32%
Manufacturing Firms in Tennessee (2017)
5,229

Employment and Compensation

Manufacturing Employment (2019)
357,000
(Percent share of nonfarm employment)
11.47%
Average Annual Compensation (Manufacturing, 2018)
$70,521.26
(Nonfarm Businesses, 2018)
$44,406.56

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau

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Tennessee Export Facts

Manufacturers help to drive Tennessee’s economy, with $29.54 billion in manufactured goods exports in 2019. That same year, $15.00 billion in exports was with our free trade agreement (FTA) partners. This helps create jobs in the state, and 22.80% of its employment stemmed from exports in 2011. Small businesses comprised 83.00% percent of all exporters in Tennessee.

Manufacturing Exports

Manufactured Goods Exports ($billions, 2019)
$29.54
(Percent share of total goods exports)
95.07%
Growth in Manufactured Goods Exports (2010–2019)
22.52%
U.S. Jobs Supported by Goods Exports (2016)
139,681
Employment from Manufacturing Exports (Export share of manufacturing jobs, 2011)
22.80%
Small Business Share of Total Exporters (2015)
83.00%
Manufactured Goods to Free Trade Agreement Partners ($billions, 2019)
$15.00
(Percent of total exports, 2019)
50.77%
Total Manufactured Goods Exports to Canada and Mexico (USMCA, 2019)
$11.06
Top Five Export Markets (Percent of total manufactured goods exports, 2019)
37.46%
Canada
23.55%
Mexico
13.91%
Japan
6.99%
China
6.95%
Netherlands
4.43%

Sources: International Trade Administration, U.S. Census Bureau

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Additional Trade Facts

  • The 20 U.S. FTA partners purchased 48.3% ($659.49 billion) of U.S. manufactured goods exports in 2019 – even though these countries represent only six percent of the world’s population and 10 percent of GDP.
  • FTA countries: Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Oman, Panama, Peru, Singapore and South Korea.