SOC 35-3031 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Waiters and Waitresses — Hattiesburg
Hattiesburg, MS · 2 metro areas compared
Median pay in Hattiesburg, MS is $21,830 a year, 38.0% under the national median of $35,230 for this occupation.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -0.7%
- Openings per year
- 456,700
- 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 Hattiesburg, 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
Median pay in Hattiesburg, MS is $21,830 a year, 38.0% under the national median of $35,230 for this occupation. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $15,540 and $28,440. The lowest tenth earn under $15,080, while the highest tenth earn more than $39,220.
The area has 1,010 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 1.11 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Within the state, Gulfport records the highest median at $22,600. Of the 239 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 233rd.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $15,080 | −57.2% |
| 25th | $15,540 | −55.9% |
| Median (50th) | $21,830 | −38.0% |
| 75th | $28,440 | −19.3% |
| 90th | $39,220 | +11.3% |
| Mean | $24,390 | −30.8% |
Other metro areas in Mississippi
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Hattiesburg run 12.4% below the national average, so the median of $21,830 goes as far as $24,920 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 29.3% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$21,830as reported by BLSLocal price level
87.6US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$24,920US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $21,830 a year, 38.0% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $15,080 to $39,220 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 1,010 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Gulfport, at $22,600.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Waiters and Waitresses in Hattiesburg, MS?
The median annual wage is $21,830, or $10.49 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 $35,230, so pay in Hattiesburg, MS is 38.0% 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 Hattiesburg, MS earns more than $39,220 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $15,080 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 Gulfport, at $22,600 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 1,010 jobs in this occupation in Hattiesburg, 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.
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