SalaryExplorer

SOC 41-2031 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Retail Salespersons — Gulfport

Gulfport-Biloxi, MS · 2 metro areas compared

$28,880 /year
$13.89per hour
5,380jobs in area
−18.4%vs US median

In Gulfport, MS the median wage is $28,880.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $35,41010TH$22,790MEDIAN$28,88075TH$35,32090TH$40,010

How pay has moved

$30,300$21,7802019202020212022202320242025$28,880
$23,220 in 2019 to $28,880 in 2025, +24.4% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to decline

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
-0.5%
Openings per year
555,800
Typical entry-level education
No formal educational credential
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Gulfport-Biloxi, MS.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

In Gulfport, MS the median wage is $28,880. That is 18.4% lower than the national median of $35,410. Pay ranges from under $22,790 at the tenth percentile to more than $40,010 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $23,620 to $35,320.

The area has 5,380 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 1.36 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Within the state, Jackson records the highest median at $29,070. Of the 388 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 347th.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Gulfport-Biloxi, MS · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$22,790−35.6%
25th$23,620−33.3%
Median (50th)$28,880−18.4%
75th$35,320−0.3%
90th$40,010+13.0%
Mean$31,300−11.6%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Mississippi

Median annual wage for Retail Salespersons, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Jackson$29,0708,770
2Hattiesburg$28,4102,600

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Gulfport run 10.0% below the national average, so the median of $28,880 goes as far as $32,089 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 9.4% below the national median in real terms.

Published median

$28,880as reported by BLS

Local price level

90.0US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$32,089US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $28,880 a year, 18.4% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $22,790 to $40,010 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 5,380 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Jackson, at $29,070.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Retail Salespersons in Gulfport, MS?

The median annual wage is $28,880, or $13.89 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $35,410, so pay in Gulfport, MS is 18.4% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Gulfport, MS earns more than $40,010 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $22,790 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Jackson, at $29,070 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 5,380 jobs in this occupation in Gulfport, MS. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.