Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Mississippi
In Mississippi, cooks, restaurant earn a median $29,560 a year, well below the national median of $37,390 (−21%); the state ranks 50th of 51 states by median. That is 26% less than the median across all occupations in Mississippi ($40,120). Among neighbouring states, Tennessee, Alabama and Arkansas pay more (up to $36,420 in Tennessee) and Louisiana pays less (down to $29,050 in Louisiana). Mississippi employs 10,770 cooks, restaurant, 9.26 per 1,000 jobs, the 35th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.02 is close to the national share.
Mississippi vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Mississippi | Hourly | $10.58 | $12.50 | $14.21 | $16.32 | $17.73 | $14.31 | 10,770 | 9.26 | 1.02 |
| Annual | $22,010 | $26,000 | $29,560 | $33,940 | $36,880 | $29,770 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.80 | $16.35 | $17.98 | $21.45 | $23.03 | $18.62 | 1,409,890 | – | – |
| Annual | $28,700 | $34,010 | $37,390 | $44,620 | $47,900 | $38,730 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 50th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 35th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.02
- Jobs per 1,000
- 9.26
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Mississippi's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Mississippi
4 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Mississippi publish a row for cooks, restaurant, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $17.47 | $36,340 | $27,030 | $44,560 | 4,800 | 7.84 | 0.86 |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | $14.71 | $30,590 | $23,150 | $37,150 | 2,520 | 15.93 | 1.76 |
| Hattiesburg, MS | $14.12 | $29,360 | $22,420 | $35,150 | 610 | 9.87 | 1.09 |
| Jackson, MS | $14.07 | $29,260 | $22,190 | $36,260 | 2,280 | 8.43 | 0.93 |
| Upper East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $13.94 | $28,990 | $21,670 | $36,760 | 2,080 | 9.69 | 1.07 |
| Lower East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $13.25 | $27,550 | $20,310 | $35,880 | 870 | 7.03 | 0.78 |
| Lower West Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $13.24 | $27,540 | $21,380 | $36,650 | 600 | 7.48 | 0.82 |
| West Delta Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $13.08 | $27,210 | $20,980 | $36,330 | 520 | 5.67 | 0.63 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Cooks, Restaurant (every state ranked) and the Mississippi wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Mississippi estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.