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Average Salary in Mississippi
This page shows what jobs actually pay in Mississippi, occupation by occupation, from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for May 2024. BLS publishes wage estimates for 639 occupations in Mississippi. For context, the U.S. all-occupation mean annual wage in May 2024 was $67,920, the median wage was $23.80 an hour, and total U.S. employment covered by the survey was 154,187,380 jobs. Use the tables below to see Mississippi's highest-paying occupations, its largest occupations, and which Mississippi jobs pay more — or less — than the same job nationally.
Highest-paying occupations in Mississippi
The highest-paying occupation BLS publishes for Mississippi is physicians, all other, with a mean annual wage of $239,200+ — 345.4% higher than the U.S. all-occupation mean of $67,920 — and a median wage of $239,200+ across 1,380 jobs. Compared with the same occupation nationally (mean $239,200+), Mississippi pays 19.4% higher for this work. Next on the list are general internal medicine physicians at a mean of $239,200+ and pediatricians, general at $239,200+. These top-paying fields are small: together the top three employ 1,770 people in Mississippi, so they describe the top of the Mississippi wage ladder rather than the typical worker's experience.
| Occupation | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 1,380 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 330 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Pediatricians, General | 60 | $113.88 | $236,860 | $239,200+ |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 780 | $111.34 | $231,580 | $239,200+ |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | 50 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Neurologists | 40 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 270 | $94.95 | $197,490 | $205,890 |
| Psychiatrists | 100 | $93.85 | $195,210 | $204,490 |
| Chief Executives | 440 | $60.26 | $125,340 | $155,210 |
| Personal Financial Advisors | 870 | $31.32 | $65,150 | $154,090 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 2,110 | — | $132,630 | $152,440 |
| Dentists, General | 830 | $61.81 | $128,570 | $143,020 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 880 | $65.39 | $136,010 | $135,210 |
| Physicists | 70 | $58.00 | $120,640 | $132,230 |
| Commercial Pilots | 300 | — | $99,920 | $129,030 |
Largest occupations in Mississippi
The occupation with the most jobs in Mississippi is retail salespersons, employing an estimated 36,330 people at a median annual wage of $27,810 and a mean of $30,540. Nationally the same occupation pays a median of $34,580, so Mississippi's typical pay for this work runs 19.6% lower. The next-largest occupations are cashiers (31,870 jobs, median $22,410) and fast food and counter workers (31,010 jobs, median $22,280). Because these occupations are so large, their wages move the overall picture of Mississippi pay far more than the small, highly paid fields above.
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual | Mean annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 36,330 | $27,810 | $30,540 |
| Cashiers | 31,870 | $22,410 | $24,170 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 31,010 | $22,280 | $23,330 |
| Registered Nurses | 29,400 | $74,470 | $79,470 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 28,460 | $35,920 | $36,270 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 26,910 | $34,690 | $35,990 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 25,490 | $50,700 | $55,240 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 20,240 | $35,580 | $36,990 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 19,020 | $23,640 | $25,190 |
| Office Clerks, General | 18,290 | $32,480 | $34,510 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 16,780 | $27,610 | $28,540 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 16,200 | $36,000 | $37,530 |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 16,160 | $40,250 | $42,500 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 16,160 | $20,340 | $24,490 |
| General and Operations Managers | 14,530 | $88,290 | $112,540 |
Where Mississippi pays a premium — and where it lags
Comparing each occupation's Mississippi median with its own national median shows where Mississippi's labor market is strong. Among occupations with at least 1,000 Mississippi jobs, the largest premium is for tutors: a median of $52,060 in Mississippi versus $40,090 nationally, 29.9% higher. The largest discount is for first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers, at $47,540 in Mississippi versus $92,430 nationally, 48.6% lower. In total, 7 of the 208 occupations with 1,000 or more Mississippi jobs pay a median above their national median. Separately, 143 of the 639 occupations published for Mississippi have a median annual wage above the U.S. all-occupation mean of $67,920, which underlines how much of Mississippi's job base sits in lower-wage service work even in a state with high-paying headline jobs.
| Occupation | Mississippi median | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tutors | $52,060 | $40,090 | +29.9% |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $132,630 | $105,620 | +25.6% |
| Sewing Machine Operators | $38,690 | $36,000 | +7.5% |
| Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $49,750 | $47,590 | +4.5% |
| Civil Engineers | $103,940 | $99,590 | +4.4% |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $45,610 | $76,290 | -40.2% |
| Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents | $45,860 | $78,140 | -41.3% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $58,470 | $105,980 | -44.8% |
| Substitute Teachers, Short-Term | $21,120 | $38,470 | -45.1% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $47,540 | $92,430 | -48.6% |
Mississippi salary FAQ
What is the highest-paying job in Mississippi?
By average pay, physicians, all other is the highest-paying occupation BLS publishes for Mississippi, with a mean annual wage of $239,200+ and a median of $239,200+ in May 2024.
What is the average salary in Mississippi?
For context, the U.S. all-occupation mean annual wage was $67,920 in May 2024. In Mississippi, the largest occupation, retail salespersons, paid a median of $27,810 across 36,330 jobs, and the tables on this page show mean and median pay for all 639 published occupations.
How many jobs does the largest occupation in Mississippi have?
Retail Salespersons is the largest occupation published for Mississippi, with an estimated 36,330 jobs in May 2024 and a mean annual wage of $30,540.
Which occupations pay more in Mississippi than in the U.S. overall?
Among occupations with at least 1,000 Mississippi jobs, tutors shows the largest premium: a median of $52,060 in Mississippi versus $40,090 nationally, 29.9% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Figures checked October 2026.