Metro Job Market Pulse · General Market Conditions · October 2026
General Market Conditions Labor Market Report: Cleveland, TN MSA — October 2026
Cleveland metro tightens further as construction pay outpaces logistics.
Bradley County unemployment fell to 3.6% in September from 4%, even as advertised pay rose sharply for construction labor and electricians while warehouse and administrative pay declined.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Bradley County unemployment: 3.6% — Down from 4.0% in August; below 4.1% U.S. rate
- Construction laborer pay: $44,096 — Up significantly; above $40,727 national median
- Warehouse/fulfillment pay: $34,840 — Down moderately vs. $38,480 national median
- Tennessee avg. hourly wage: $25.79 — Below $30.19 U.S. average (Sept. 2026)
Key takeaways
Bradley County's labor market tightened again, but unevenly.
The drop to 3.6% unemployment tracks a statewide decline, yet advertised pay moved in opposite directions across sectors -- up significantly for construction labor and electricians, down for warehouse and delivery roles. A single tightening headline obscures a metro economy moving at different speeds across its goods and logistics sectors.
Construction and trades pay point to a visible build cycle.
Construction laborer pay rose significantly and electrician pay rose significantly, both outpacing their national medians -- a pattern consistent with active local project activity. Economic development officials evaluating new investment announcements should treat this as a capacity signal worth confirming against permitting data.
Logistics and office-support pay softened even as the labor market tightened.
Warehouse/fulfillment pay fell moderately and administrative assistant pay fell moderately in the metro while unemployment dropped -- a combination suggesting softer demand in those functions specifically, with overall labor supply still tight. This divergence matters for understanding which parts of the local business base are expanding versus plateauing.
Metro wages still trail national levels across nearly every role tracked.
Registered nurse pay sits roughly 20% below the national median and software engineer pay is modestly below its national counterpart, consistent with the broader Tennessee pattern of average hourly earnings ($25.79) trailing the U.S. average ($30.19). Commerce leaders pitching the metro's cost advantage should pair that message with the wage-versus-inflation context alongside cost.
Median advertised pay by role — Cleveland, TN MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | $22,883 | $27,040 | $30,160 | Moderate increase | $33,340 |
| Retail Cashier | $22,513 | $25,118 | $27,469 | Stable | $31,268 |
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate | $29,120 | $34,840 | $37,400 | Moderate decline | $38,480 |
| CDL Truck Driver | $58,500 | $84,500 | $93,600 | Moderate increase | $78,872 |
| Delivery Driver | $30,149 | $35,360 | $37,440 | Moderate decline | $34,826 |
| Construction Laborer | $27,053 | $44,096 | $46,800 | Significant increase | $40,727 |
| Electrician | $56,192 | $69,075 | $70,860 | Significant increase | $71,835 |
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler | $30,444 | $34,320 | $34,320 | Moderate increase | $39,520 |
| Customer Service Representative | $31,761 | $35,360 | $36,215 | Stable | $39,520 |
| Food Service Worker | $25,709 | $29,120 | $37,440 | Moderate increase | $33,764 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide | $32,757 | $34,616 | $35,570 | Stable | $41,600 |
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk | $29,486 | $37,042 | $41,503 | Moderate decline | $44,552 |
| HVAC Technician | $44,720 | $58,905 | $58,905 | Significant increase | $71,406 |
| Registered Nurse | $74,732 | $81,372 | $91,700 | Stable | $102,252 |
| Software Engineer * | $110,570 | $149,094 | $164,580 | Moderate increase | $154,403 |
| Data Engineer * | $90,454 | $130,000 | $145,000 | Moderate increase | $138,000 |
| Accountant | $56,000 | $57,766 | $62,479 | Stable | $72,000 |
| Financial Analyst * | $68,990 | $88,650 | $95,191 | Stable | $94,646 |
| HR Generalist/Manager | $50,143 | $64,987 | $64,987 | Significant increase | $74,477 |
| Marketing Specialist * | $46,800 | $61,238 | $70,836 | Moderate increase | $62,916 |
| Operations Manager * | $63,541 | $77,928 | $84,043 | Moderate increase | $86,294 |
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher | $34,320 | $52,193 | $69,758 | Significant increase | $55,908 |
| Account Manager | $31,512 | $34,903 | $47,207 | Significant decline | $94,009 |
| Warehouse Manager * | $50,422 | $63,496 | $68,685 | Moderate decline | $75,000 |
| Business Analyst * | $76,636 | $93,600 | $105,425 | Moderate decline | $98,302 |
* State-level figure shown where metro postings were too few.
WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings (reported as the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay). Download: CSV · JSON
Industry snapshot
| Sector | Median advertised pay | Pay trend | Postings trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | $43,617 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Manufacturing | $38,187 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Retail Trade | $34,078 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | $78,000 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Information | $39,520 | Significant decline | Significant increase |
| Financial Activities | $70,950 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Professional & Business Services | $40,061 | Significant decline | Significant increase |
| Education & Health Services | $61,604 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Leisure & Hospitality | $29,654 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Government | $66,620 | Stable | Significant increase |
Local market conditions
Bradley County's unemployment rate fell to 3.6% in September from 4% in August, continuing the countywide decline recorded across all 95 Tennessee counties and leaving the Cleveland metro below both the 3.4% state rate's near-neighbors and the 4.1% national rate. Tightening comes against a backdrop of stable, mixed sector activity: wage gains in construction labor and electrician work point to continued building and infrastructure activity, while declines in warehouse, delivery, and administrative advertised pay suggest softer momentum in logistics and office-support functions locally.
What it means
Falling unemployment alongside uneven sector-level pay signals -- strength in construction and skilled trades, softness in logistics and administrative work -- indicates the metro's growth is concentrated in specific sectors, a distinction that matters for site-selection and investment-timing conversations more than for overall labor availability. Public-sector and health-institution anchors (Cleveland Post Office, Lee University, Skyridge and Cleveland Community Hospital) continue to provide employment stability that cushions the metro against the national softening in white-collar sectors. Commerce leaders and economic development officials should consider monitoring whether construction-wage strength reflects a specific project pipeline or a broader capacity constraint before citing it as a general growth indicator.
Looking ahead
Worth watching: Bradley County's unemployment decline aligns with a statewide trend across all 95 counties -- watch whether October data shows the same breadth or whether Cleveland's rate moves independently of the state pattern.
Emerging pressure point: Construction-sector wage strength locally contrasts with flat-to-declining construction employment statewide (166,200 jobs, roughly -0.2% year-over-year). If local project pipelines slow, trades pay gains could stall quickly.
Early indicator: National softening in information, professional/business services, and financial activities has not yet shown up distinctly in Cleveland metro data, likely reflecting the metro's smaller white-collar base. Commerce leaders should watch whether regional office and business-services job ads, a signal of hiring demand (one ad often covers several openings), begin to soften in step with national trends.
Potential inflection point: TNTalent's $5 million state investment in nuclear, AI infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing workforce development creates a potential channel for local institutions, including Lee University, to attract program dollars. Watch for grant or partnership announcements naming Bradley or Polk county institutions over the next two months.
Sources
- Cleveland Banner / Tennessee Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development — Bradley County unemployment fell to 3.6% in September from 4% in August
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — National unemployment rate stable at 4.1% in October
- Tennessee Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development — Tennessee average hourly wage of $25.79 trails national average of $30.19
- Tennessee Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development — Tennessee construction employment roughly flat to slightly down year-over-year
- Cleveland Banner — All Tennessee counties reported declining unemployment rates in September
- Tennessee Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development — TNTalent program launched with $5 million in federal funding
Methodology
Advertised pay from active employer job postings, not survey data. WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings: distribution analysis shows roughly the lowest 10% of raw values are erroneous entries, so the reported median is the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay. WageScape observes 98% of U.S. job openings daily.
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