Tennessee Energy Efficiency jobs: 53,319 employed (2024)
As of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, Tennessee employs 53,319 people in the energy efficiency sector — about 2.2% of the U.S. total. That makes Tennessee the 17th-largest state for energy efficiency jobs nationwide.
Energy Efficiency Jobs in Tennessee (2024)
National share: 2.24% of all U.S. energy efficiency jobs.
Typical Median Wage
1. Employment Landscape
Tennessee ranks 17th out of 51 U.S. states in energy efficiency employment. At 53,319 workers, the state sits above the 25th-ranked Alabama’s tally by 21,769 jobs, and trails the national leader California by 258,771 energy efficiency workers.
1.1 Tennessee’s position vs. the top 10 and median states
1.2 Share of U.S. total
The energy efficiency sector nationwide employs roughly 2,381,744 workers; Tennessee accounts for 53,319 of them.
1.3 Where Tennessee sits in its own mix
| Sector | Jobs (2024) | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | 53,319 | #17 |
| Hydropower | 5,802 | #3 |
| Solar | 5,590 | #21 |
| Electric Vehicles | 5,332 | #7 |
| Storage & Grid | 1,137 | #21 |
| Wind | 849 | #35 |
| Clean Fuels | 253 | #22 |
| Nuclear | 94 | #37 |
1.4 Sub-sector breakdown in Tennessee
Every energy efficiency-related sub-category reported for Tennessee in the USEER workbook, ranked by employment.
2. Pay & Career Roles in Tennessee
Tennessee contributes 2.24% of the nation’s energy efficiency workforce. Within Tennessee’s own clean-energy economy, energy efficiency accounts for 73.7% of total clean-energy jobs (53,319 of 72,376 workers).
Cost-of-living in Tennessee is roughly 7.3% lower the U.S. average, so the state-adjusted median wage for energy efficiency roles in Tennessee is shown alongside the national BLS figure.
| Role | National median | Tennessee-adjusted | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy Engineer | $103,940 | $96,352 | 4 |
| Energy Auditor | $71,400 | $66,188 | 3 |
| Weatherization Installer & Technician | $50,560 | $46,869 | 2 |
See all 3 energy efficiency occupations with national wages and skills →
4. Hiring Difficulty & Industry Mix
Tennessee employers rate 18.2% of clean-energy hires as “very difficult” (plus 26.6% as “somewhat difficult”) — easier than the ~22% national baseline. Combined, 44.8% of Tennessee’s clean-energy roles see some level of hiring friction.
4.1 Employer hiring difficulty
4.2 Jobs by NAICS industry group
| Industry (NAICS group) | Jobs (2024) |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 86,997 |
| Construction | 44,586 |
| Trade | 22,813 |
| Other Services | 22,441 |
| Utilities | 19,794 |
| Professional Services | 15,934 |
| Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows | 6,701 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | 390 |
| Mining and Extraction | 379 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Data source: U.S. Department of Energy — 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report (reflecting 2024 employment); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics; O*NET Occupation Database 29.1.
Last updated: April 2026.