Average Salaries in Jackson, MS
Explore salaries across 463 occupations in Jackson, MS. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $57.9K, -12.0% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 463 occupations and 261,850 total jobs in Jackson, MS.
How the metro compares
Jackson, MS pays modestly below the national average. That can be partly offset by a lower cost of living compared with higher-paying markets.
Jackson, MS is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is General Internal Medicine Physicians. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Jackson, MS
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in Jackson, MS
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $333.5K | N/A |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $297.8K | 80 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $237.4K | N/A |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $200.5K | 140 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $175.1K | 1,330 |
| Dentists, General | $150K | 170 |
| Chief Executives | $149.5K | 110 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $137K | 220 |
| Pharmacists | $132.1K | 860 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $128.8K | 570 |
Largest occupations in Jackson, MS
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 8,770 | $29.1K |
| Registered Nurses | 8,700 | $82.6K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 8,460 | $22.6K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 7,800 | $23.1K |
| Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 6,590 | $58.1K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 5,890 | $36.9K |
| Cashiers | 5,320 | $28K |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers And Fabricators | 4,810 | $63.2K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 4,450 | $34.1K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 4,270 | $37.9K |
What Jackson, MS specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Jackson, MS than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Jackson, MS
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Psychiatric Aides | 16.81 | $31.6K |
| Meat, Poultry, And Fish Cutters And Trimmers | 8.78 | $37.5K |
| Helpers--Production Workers | 4.96 | $33K |
| Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary | 4.26 | $63.7K |
| Emergency Management Directors | 4.22 | $43K |
| Conservation Scientists | 3.90 | $59.1K |
| Slaughterers And Meat Packers | 3.84 | $34.5K |
| Engine And Other Machine Assemblers | 3.76 | $47.3K |
| Tire Builders | 3.58 | $55.4K |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 3.46 | $175.1K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Jackson, MS
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.