The labor force in Knoxville’s 11-county region is around 450,000 people, with around 256,000 workers in Knox County alone, according to recent data from the Knoxville Chamber.
From the beginning of 2024 through the beginning of 2025, the Knoxville Chamber expects the region to expand by 4,735 jobs, or 1.1%. That tracks roughly with Knox County’s annual population growth rate, which is the second highest in Tennessee.
Health care is the fastest growing sector in the Knoxville region, and the most in-demand job is registered nurses, with 693 active job postings.
The latest data on major employers from the Knoxville Chamber shows a diverse group of the biggest businesses. The chamber includes 11 counties in the region for its major employers data: Anderson, Blount, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Monroe, Roane, Sevier, and Union.
Some companies headquartered in Knoxville, like Pilot and the Tennessee Valley Authority, have workforces large enough to land on the list. But because most of their employees are based outside the region, they don’t make the cut.
Here are the 12 largest employers in the region for 2023-2024. Did your company make the list?
12. State of Tennessee
Total employees in Knoxville area: 3,811
Last year’s position: No. 12
Change in employee count: Added 698 employees
The state of Tennessee may be based in the capital city of Nashville, but between economic development, highway patrol, planning and transportation professionals, the state government has a strong presence in the Knoxville region.
11. Food City
Total employees in Knoxville area: 4,023
Last year’s position: No. 10
Change in employee count: Lost 279 employees
Food City, owned under the corporate name K-VA-T Food Stores, is a grocery store chain that has grown quickly in the region. Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, near the border with North Carolina and Tennessee, the company operates 130 Food City stores and a handful of others.
The company signed a $20 million, 10-year naming rights agreement with the University of Tennessee at Knoxville for Thompson-Boling Arena in 2023. The basketball and concert venue is now called Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.
10. Dollywood
Total employees in Knoxville area: 4,500
Last year’s position: No. 9
Change in employee count: No change
This beloved entertainment company, owned half by Dolly Parton herself, includes Dollywood and Dollywood Splash Country in Pigeon Forge. The theme park has racked up industry awards over the last two years, placing it above even Disney World in the eyes of experts.
9. Roark Capital Group
Total employees in Knoxville area: 4,608
Last year’s position: No. 11
Change in employee count: Added 735 employees
This $37 billion Atlanta-based private equity firm is a name you probably have never heard. But you know the names of brands it invests in: Arby’s, Auntie Anne’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’ Donuts, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Sonic and Subway, just to name a few.
8. DENSO
Total employees in Knoxville area: 5,000
Last year’s position: No. 8
Change in employee count: No change
This Japanese auto parts giant makes components for almost every vehicle make and model on the road. Since 1988, when it set up shop in Maryville, the company has made electric and safety components in the region. It just announced a $100 million expansion in Athens, though McMinn County is outside the Knoxville region.
7. Clayton
Total employees in Knoxville area: 5,047
Last year’s position: No. 7
Change in employee count: No change
Clayton, commonly referred to as Clayton Homes, is a Maryville-based company that includes a major manufactured home division, as well as 21st Mortgage Corp. and Vanderbilt Mortgage. Since 2003, the company has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s holding company Berkshire Hathaway.
6. UT Medical Center
Total employees in Knoxville area: 5,387
Last year’s position: No. 6
Change in employee count: No change
UT Medical Center, owned and operated under the nonprofit University Health Systems, is the region’s academic medical center and its largest hospital. It has expanded its presence in rural areas of the region with medical clinics offering world-class healthcare, in some cases for free.
5. Walmart
Total employees in Knoxville area: 6,614
Last year’s position: No. 5
Change in employee count: Lost 249 employees
Walmart may be the world’s biggest employer, but it’s also among the top five largest employers in the Knoxville region, with 6,234 employees at Walmart stores and 380 at Sam’s Club locations.
4. Knox County Schools
Total employees in Knoxville area: 10,118
Last year’s position: No. 3
Change in employee count: Added 71 employees
The massive workforce of Knox County Schools serves more than 60,000 students at four preschools, 52 elementary schools, 17 middle schools and 17 high schools. The district has focused in recent years on improving student safety and integrating new tech into the classroom, including AI tools.
3. University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Total employees in Knoxville area: 11,197
Last year’s position: No. 4
Change in employee count: Added 1,898 employees
The University of Tennessee at Knoxville shot up a spot on the list after adding a staggering 1,898 employees in the region in just one year. The flagship campus enrolled a record 38,728 students this year, and the university system across the state is poised to exceed its 2030 enrollment goals.
This figure includes 3,437 temporary employees but does not include student employees. If the data included UT’s reported 9,687 student employees, it easily would be the region’s top employer.
2. Covenant Health
Total employees in Knoxville area: 11,963
Last year’s position: No. 2
Change in employee count: Added 50 employees
Covenant Health operates around 180 hospitals and clinics across East Tennessee, with its largest at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center and Parkwest Medical Center. The company secured naming rights for the new Old City baseball stadium, which will open in 2025 as Covenant Health Park.
1. U.S. Department of Energy
Total employees in Knoxville area: 16,975
Last year’s position: No. 1
Change in employee count: Added 800 employees
The Department of Energy still owns most of Oak Ridge, the first planned city for the Manhattan Project, but calling it the region’s largest employer is complicated. Only a few hundred people in Oak Ridge are directly employed by the DOE. The rest are employed through the federal government’s contractors.
UT-Battelle, the nonprofit corporation that operates Oak Ridge National Laboratory, employs around 6,000 people. Consolidated Nuclear Security, the federal contractor at Y-12 National Security Complex, employs around 8,600 people. As Y-12’s nuclear mission grows, so does its workforce.
The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, along with cleanup contractor United Cleanup Oak Ridge, or UCOR, employs 2,375 people.
Daniel Dassow is a growth and development reporter focused on technology and energy. Phone 423-637-0878. Email daniel.dassow@knoxnews.com.
Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.Â