Salaries · United States · Mississippi
Salaries in Mississippi 2026
The median pay for all jobs in Mississippi is $40,120 a year ($19.29 an hour), 21% below the US median of $50,980 (BLS, May 2025): the lowest of the 50 states and DC. Full-time workers living in Mississippi earn a median of $48,373 (Census ACS 2020 to 2024).
By Dominic Roworth · From BLS, Census and BEA data, checked 31 October 2026
Pay in Mississippi: the key figures
| Figure | Mississippi | United States | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, all jobs | $40,120 | $50,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Average (mean) pay | $50,810 | $69,770 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lowest-paid 10% earn under | $22,970 | $31,200 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Highest-paid 10% earn over | $84,500 | $128,560 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Jobs counted | 1,163,030 | 155,495,730 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Full-time workers living here, median | $48,373 ± $319 | $61,657 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B20018 |
| Median household income | $56,447 ± $539 | $80,734 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B19013 |
| Price level (US = 100) | 87.0 | 100.0 | BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 |
| Minimum wage | $7.25 | $7.25 | State labor department |
Take-home pay on the median
On $40,120, a single person keeps about $33,544 a year ($2,795 a month) after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, Mississippi income tax. With prices 13% below the US average, $40,120 here buys what $46,100 buys at average US prices.
| Median pay | $40,120 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | -$2,634 |
| Social Security | -$2,487 |
| Medicare | -$582 |
| Mississippi income tax | -$873 |
| Take-home a year | $33,544 |
What drives pay in Mississippi
Mississippi has the lowest pay of the 50 states and DC, and a large part of the reason is its mix of jobs. Professional, scientific and technical services are only 3.7% of GDP, against 8.0% nationally, and finance and insurance 5.9%, against 8.7% (BEA). Government is a much bigger share, 16.0% of GDP (US 11.1%), mostly state and local government, which pays 17.0% of all employee compensation against 12.7% nationally.
Industry provides most of the better-paid private jobs. Manufacturing is 14.9% of GDP (US 9.5%), including petroleum refining at 3.1% (US 0.5%) and other transportation equipment, the category that includes shipbuilding, at 1.3% (US 0.65%). Industrial production managers, on a median of $118,660, and engineers rank among the best-paid jobs.
Below them is a large low-wage service sector. Retail salespersons, fast food workers and cashiers are three of the four most common jobs, with medians between $22,610 and $28,640, and the minimum wage is the federal $7.25. So one worker in ten earns less than $22,970, the second-lowest figure of any state, and even the 90th percentile is only $84,500, the lowest of any state (US $128,560). The median is $40,120, 21% below the US, though prices are about 13% below the US average.
Job growth has slowed. The Mississippi Department of Employment Security counts 55,939 more jobs in 2025 than in 2021, but only 5,548 more than in 2024. Health care and social assistance added 18,291 jobs over those four years and construction 8,675, while manufacturing lost 5,549, cutting its share of employment from 12.9% to 11.9%.
The highest-paid jobs in Mississippi
Median annual pay, for jobs with at least 1,000 workers in the state (BLS, May 2025).
| Job | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,890 | $137,220 |
| Pharmacists | 3,050 | $133,230 |
| Nurse Practitioners | 4,690 | $124,730 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 1,710 | $124,280 |
| Industrial Production Managers | 2,290 | $118,660 |
| Financial Managers | 3,470 | $111,390 |
| Sales Managers | 1,870 | $108,750 |
| General and Operations Managers | 10,630 | $106,680 |
| Electrical Engineers | 1,130 | $104,990 |
| Civil Engineers | 1,770 | $100,170 |
| Physical Therapists | 1,980 | $99,990 |
| Construction Managers | 1,640 | $99,520 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 4,280 | $98,160 |
| Mechanical Engineers | 1,570 | $98,000 |
| Administrative Services Managers | 1,700 | $96,030 |
The most common jobs in Mississippi
The jobs with the most workers, and what they pay.
| Job | Workers | Median a year | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 38,400 | $28,640 | $13.77 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 31,220 | $22,610 | $10.87 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 30,750 | $36,400 | $17.50 |
| Cashiers | 30,490 | $26,390 | $12.69 |
| Registered Nurses | 29,060 | $77,090 | $37.06 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 24,160 | $51,820 | $24.92 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 23,420 | $34,270 | $16.47 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 21,800 | $23,860 | $11.47 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 20,860 | $36,380 | $17.49 |
| Office Clerks, General | 17,600 | $34,900 | $16.78 |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 16,800 | $39,070 | $18.79 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 15,940 | $28,380 | $13.64 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 15,190 | $21,370 | $10.27 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 14,720 | $37,340 | $17.95 |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 14,550 | $44,350 | $21.32 |
Pay for careers we cover, in Mississippi
Official BLS medians for Mississippi; each links to the full salary guide with pay by state.
| Career | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetist | 480 | $198,410 |
| Dentist | 740 | $143,660 |
| Pharmacist | 3,050 | $133,230 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 4,690 | $124,730 |
| Aerospace Engineer | 90 | $109,200 |
| Actuary | 40 | $106,210 |
| Physician Assistant | 320 | $105,920 |
| Commercial Pilot | 240 | $103,640 |
| Software Engineer | 1,880 | $95,330 |
| Lawyer | 3,100 | $91,690 |
| Air Traffic Controller | 160 | $88,110 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | 480 | $87,690 |
| Financial Analyst | 720 | $79,580 |
| Project Manager | 4,320 | $78,870 |
| Registered Nurse | 29,060 | $77,090 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | 1,360 | $74,880 |
| Data Scientist | 440 | $69,490 |
| Accountant | 7,350 | $68,100 |
| Compliance Officer | 1,720 | $67,450 |
| Dental Hygienist | 1,140 | $67,280 |
| Electrician | 6,610 | $60,860 |
| Plumber | 3,360 | $55,480 |
| Welder | 6,460 | $51,100 |
| HVAC Technician | 2,700 | $48,680 |
| UX Designer | 230 | $48,550 |
| Paralegal | 2,270 | $46,180 |
Mississippi and its neighbors
| State | Median pay | Price level | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | $40,120 | 87.0 | $46,100 |
| Alabama | $45,670 | 88.8 | $51,400 |
| Arkansas | $43,630 | 86.9 | $50,200 |
| Louisiana | $45,520 | 88.2 | $51,600 |
| Tennessee | $47,380 | 91.9 | $51,600 |
Limits
BLS figures cover jobs located in Mississippi, not the self-employed; Census figures cover people who live here. Take-home assumes a single filer with the standard deduction. More in our methodology.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state file)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (tables B20018 and B19013)
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state (table SARPP), 2024
- Take-home pay: Paygrade's 2026 federal and state tax engine, see the methodology.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: GDP by state and industry, 2025 (industry shares and growth rates are our calculation), data last updated 30 Sep 2026
- Mississippi Department of Employment Security, Labor Market Information Department: Reflections 2025, An In-Depth Look at Mississippi's Economy, 2025 edition (PDF dated 30 Sep 2026)
- Paygrade src/data/state-pay.json (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025), May 2025 data
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