Labor Market Pulse

Memphis, TN-AR-MS Metro Edition

Focus: IT

Memphis IT pay falls as metro jobs shrink, but skills gap persists.

4.8%-5.2%

Memphis MSA unemployment rate

vs 3.4% statewide, 4.1% national (Aug 2026)

767/month avg

Metro job losses

4th-worst job growth pace since 2020

$82,547

Cybersecurity Analyst advertised pay (metro)

vs $106,790 national median, down significantly

8,500

Unfilled logistics positions

Amid $200M FedEx airport modernization

This Month's Takeaways

01

Memphis job losses mask a tightening skills market.

Metro employment fell for months straight even as FedEx's airport modernization proceeds amid 8,500 unfilled logistics and technical positions. Broad softening doesn't mean easier hiring for cloud, security, or automation roles tied to infrastructure investment.

02

Cybersecurity pay gap with national rates has widened sharply.

Memphis advertised cybersecurity analyst pay dropped significantly to $82,547 versus a national median of $106,790, a spread wide enough to make remote offers competitive against local roles. Organizations anchoring security compensation to local medians risk losing candidates to fully remote national employers.

03

IT Project Manager pay decline may signal budget caution, not demand drop.

Metro IT Project Manager advertised pay fell significantly to $112,064 while national pay rose moderately to $117,530, a divergence more consistent with delayed project starts than reduced need for the role. Watch whether this reverses once FedEx-adjacent and other local modernization projects move from planning to execution.

04

Systems Administrator pay stability looks increasingly out of step.

Metro Systems Administrator pay held stable at $90,333 while national pay climbed moderately to $101,168, a gap that may reflect Memphis's heavier on-prem infrastructure base relative to cloud-forward metros. Flat local pay against rising national rates is a retention risk for administrators supporting legacy systems without a cloud premium to offset it.

Local Labor Conditions

Memphis MSA employment contracted through mid-2026, losing an average of 767 jobs per month and pushing metro unemployment to 4.8%-5.2% even as Tennessee's statewide rate held near 3.4%, a divergence tied to Shelby County's concentration in logistics and distribution. FedEx's $200 million Memphis International Airport modernization is adding infrastructure capacity even as 8,500 logistics positions sit unfilled, exposing a mismatch between capital investment and the technical workforce needed to operate it.

Leadership & Talent Implications

Metro-level job losses alongside a persistent skilled-labor shortage signal a bifurcated market: generalist and support roles face softening demand while cloud, security, and modernization-adjacent talent remains scarce and expensive to retain. Cybersecurity Analyst advertised pay in Memphis fell significantly to $82,547 against a national median of $106,790 — a gap wide enough to invite poaching from remote-friendly national employers even as local headcount budgets tighten. Consider reviewing whether current infrastructure and security compensation bands reflect national competition for talent rather than the metro's softer overall job market.

Advertised Pay Indicators

Role	P25	Median	P75	Local Trend	National	Nat. Trend
Data Scientist	$108,366	$126,103	$145,878	↓ Moderate decline	$148,250	↑ Moderate increase
Systems Administrator	$66,004	$90,333	$92,248	→ Stable	$101,168	↑ Moderate increase
Network Engineer	$72,220	$88,457	$109,378	↓ Moderate decline	$114,400	↑ Moderate increase
Software Engineer	$96,594	$136,942	$155,582	→ Stable	$153,652	→ Stable
Help Desk/IT Support Specialist	$43,839	$52,204	$54,434	↓ Moderate decline	$53,644	→ Stable
Cybersecurity Analyst	$72,669	$82,547	$87,341	↓ Significant decline	$106,790	↑ Moderate increase
IT Project Manager	$85,000	$112,064	$124,521	↓ Significant decline	$117,530	↑ Moderate increase

Looking Ahead · Next 30–60 Days

Expected

TikTok's Nashville office closure on October 5 will affect 250 workers statewide; watch whether any displaced technical talent surfaces in the Memphis candidate pool given Tennessee's tight overall labor supply.

Emerging pressure point

FedEx's airport modernization nears late-2026 completion while logistics and technical vacancies remain near 8,500 locally. Expect continued upward pressure on supply-chain-adjacent IT and automation roles even as broader metro employment contracts.

Worth watching

Metro job losses averaging 767 per month through 2026 have not yet shown signs of reversing. A fifth consecutive month of decline would strengthen the case for cautious headcount planning across support and administrative IT functions.

Potential inflection point

National tech employers report 78% planning H2 headcount increases, concentrated in cloud and security specializations. If that national pull intensifies, Memphis employers with below-market cybersecurity and network engineering pay may see accelerated attrition.

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