Memphis, TN-MS-AR

Janitorial Wages in Memphis, TN-MS-AR (2026)

Last updated Q2 2026 · Authored by the Opora Editorial Team · Source: BLS OEWS May 2024 + Tennessee Minimum Wage Act (TCA §50-2-101 et seq.); Mississippi and Arkansas portions governed by federal FLSA $7.25 floor

The Memphis, TN-MS-AR Metropolitan Statistical Area straddles three right-to-work states and represents the lower-wage end of the Sun Belt janitorial market. O*NET 2024 local wages show a median hourly wage of $15.18 for SOC 37-2011 janitors—above Mississippi's $7.25/hr and Arkansas's $11.00/hr minimums, but well below the national median. All three states are right-to-work with no SEIU commercial janitorial contract coverage. The defining feature of Memphis's janitorial market is the FedEx World Hub—the largest single integrated logistics hub on earth—at Memphis International Airport. FedEx's 30+ million square feet of sort, warehouse, and administrative facilities represents the largest single cleaning account opportunity in the mid-South, and its 24/7/365 operational requirements set the labor standard for a significant share of the local workforce.

BLS OEWS May 2024 Wage Distribution

Percentile	Hourly	Annual	Benchmark
10th	$11.12	$23,130	Near-federal floor; DeSoto County MS residential/commercial, West Memphis AR outer-ring
25th	$13.49	$28,050	Suburban Memphis TN commercial; Germantown, Collierville, Bartlett accounts
50th (Median)	$15.18	$31,580	Standard commercial cleaner; mid-Memphis office, healthcare support cleaning
75th	$17.49	$36,380	Healthcare EVS (Regional One, Methodist Le Bonheur); FedEx hub cleaning contractors
90th	$20.32	$42,260	Government/institutional custodians; specialized logistics facility leads; St. Jude research cleaning

Source: O*NET Local Wages TN 2024, SOC 37-2011. Minimum wages: TN $7.25 (federal); MS $7.25 (federal); AR $11.00 (2024). Annual at 2,080 hours.

FedEx World Hub: The Market-Defining Account

FedEx Express's Memphis World Hub processes approximately 1.5 million packages per night, employs 30,000+ people across sort, aircraft maintenance, and administrative functions, and encompasses 30+ million square feet of enclosed space. The hub operates 24/7/365 with sort cycles approximately every 4–6 hours; cleaning is integrated into each cycle window. Workers on FedEx hub cleaning contracts must pass background checks, drug screening, and customs bond eligibility. Physical demands and scheduling intensity push FedEx hub cleaning wages to the 75th–90th percentile locally: $17–$21/hr for general sort-facility cleaning crews, $20–$25/hr for specialized cleaning (aircraft hangar, customs facility). ABM Industries has historically held significant FedEx facility services contracts in Memphis. The hub is effectively the reference account that drives labor market expectations for all large commercial cleaning contracts in the metro.

Three-State E-Verify Matrix

The multi-state MSA creates a layered E-Verify compliance environment. Per the Equifax 2025 E-Verify requirements guide: Mississippi is in the "All or Most Employers" tier—mandatory for all private and public sector employers regardless of size. Arkansas: mandatory for state/local government agencies and private businesses with public contracts. Tennessee: mandatory for public agencies and private businesses with public contracts. A Memphis BSC holding any government cleaning account must maintain E-Verify enrollment. Mississippi's blanket requirement covers every private employer—any entity with Mississippi employees must be enrolled regardless of government contract status. Non-compliance can result in business license suspension and state contract debarment.

Healthcare: St. Jude and the Medical Center Cluster

Memphis's healthcare sector anchors the highest-wage institutional cleaning segment. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital: a dedicated childhood cancer facility operating HEPA-filtered cleanrooms, controlled-access corridors, and chemotherapy compound handling protocols. St. Jude cleaning contract standards are among the most rigorous in Tennessee; wages on-site run $18–$23/hr. Regional One Health (Level I trauma): 24/7 EVS at $17–$21/hr. Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare (Le Bonheur Children's, multiple adult campuses): major BSC contract market at $16–$20/hr. Baptist Memorial Health Care: system-wide EVS contracts with national operators. The hospital and research cleaning market in the Medical Center cluster represents the most valuable institutional segment in the MSA, with higher billing rates and greater contract stability than commercial office cleaning.

Three-State Wage Structure and Industry Mix

The Memphis MSA's three-state structure creates the sharpest wage arbitrage within a single metro in this batch. Tennessee side: market-driven starting wages $11–$13/hr; no state minimum above federal. DeSoto County MS (Southaven, Olive Branch, Horn Lake): effectively a Memphis bedroom community; staffable at $11–$13/hr from Mississippi-resident workers. Crittenden County AR (West Memphis): Arkansas $11.00/hr minimum; warehouse and distribution cleaning at $11–$14/hr. BSCs covering all three states manage separate payroll tax jurisdictions, separate WC policy endorsements (TN, MS, AR all NCCI states; Class 9014 rates $1.60–$2.20/$100), and separate SUI accounts. Memphis's economy is unusually logistics-heavy: Amazon and Walmart distribution centers in the Lamar Corridor, cold-storage and food processing in DeSoto County (cold-storage adds $2–$3/hr premium), and the Beale Street / Graceland (1.2M visitors/year) entertainment corridors add modest event cleaning demand.

Non-Union Market and Loaded Labor

All three MSA states are right-to-work; SEIU has no contractual presence in Memphis commercial janitorial. The market clears purely on inter-BSC competition and labor supply. Major operators: ABM Industries (FedEx hub and healthcare), ServiceMaster (founded in Memphis, significant regional roots), Aramark (hospital EVS), and regional operators including CleanCo Systems. Post-COVID, effective starting wages moved from $9–$10/hr to $11.50–$13.50/hr through labor market tightening alone. Full-time healthcare EVS positions at $16–$19/hr are the most sought-after janitorial roles in the metro, with waitlists at major medical accounts. Loaded labor at $15.18/hr median: FICA + TN/MS/AR WC (low range, ~$1.80/$100) + SUI + liability = approximately $19–$23/hr all-in. Standard commercial bill rates: $20–$30/hr; hospital EVS: $24–$35/hr.

Primary sources

Review notice

This wage data is maintained by the Opora editorial team and last reviewed in Q2 2026. BLS OEWS data is released annually each spring; state and local minimum wages change at least yearly. Verify current rates with BLS, the relevant state labor department, and any applicable SCA wage determination before relying on a specific bid number. Opora does not provide legal or tax advice.