Manufacturing Output and Firms
Total Manufacturing Output ($billions, 2018)
$56.01
(Percent share of total gross state product)
15.32%
Manufacturing Firms in Tennessee (2016)
5,157
Tennessee Manufacturing Facts
Manufacturers in Tennessee account for 15.32% of the total output in the state, employing 11.45% of the workforce. Total output from manufacturing was $56.01 billion in 2018. In addition, there were an average of 351,000 manufacturing employees in Tennessee in 2018, with an average annual compensation of $70,971.12 in 2017.
Employment and Compensation
Manufacturing Employment (2018)
351,000
(Percent share of nonfarm employment)
11.45%
Average Annual Compensation (Manufacturing, 2017)
$70,971.12
(Nonfarm Businesses, 2017)
$43,963.36
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Tennessee Export Facts
Manufacturers help to drive Tennessee’s economy, with $31.02 billion in manufactured goods exports in 2018. That same year, $16.46 billion in exports was with our free trade agreement (FTA) partners. This helps create jobs in the state, and 22.80% of its employment stemmed from exports in 2011. Small businesses comprised 83.00% percent of all exporters in Tennessee.
Manufacturing Exports
Manufactured Goods Exports ($billions, 2018)
$31.02
(Percent share of total goods exports)
94.85%
Growth in Manufactured Goods Exports (2010–2018)
28.67%
U.S. Jobs Supported by Goods Exports (2016)
139,681
Employment from Manufacturing Exports (Export share of manufacturing jobs, 2011)
22.80%
Small Business Share of Total Exporters (2015)
83.00%
Manufactured Goods to Free Trade Agreement Partners ($billions, 2018)
$16.46
(Percent of total exports, 2018)
53.06%
Total Manufactured Goods Exports to Canada and Mexico (NAFTA, 2018)
$12.56
Top Five Export Markets (Percent of total manufactured goods exports, 2018)
40.51%
Canada
25.04%
Mexico
15.47%
China
7.68%
Japan
6.21%
Netherlands
4.36%
Sources: International Trade Administration, U.S. Census Bureau
Figure 4
Additional Trade Facts
- The 20 U.S. FTA partners purchased nearly 49 percent ($679.46 billion) of U.S. manufactured goods exports in 2018 – 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.