Ranked by median pay, with jobs and rent share; from BLS and Census data.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
4 metro areas in Mississippi publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 15,730 jobs. The three largest employers of waiters and waitresses are Memphis (8,060 jobs), Gulfport-Biloxi (3,910 jobs), Jackson (2,750 jobs), which hold 93.6% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $21,440 to $24,550 a year, against $21,370 for the whole state and $35,230 for the whole country.
BLS reports a national median of $35,230 a year for waiters and waitresses (the lowest-paid tenth earn under $18,100 and the highest-paid tenth over $64,720). Employment is projected to change by +2.0% between 2025 and 2035, with about 423,100 openings a year including replacements. The typical entry route is: No formal educational credential; on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. Education requirements are BLS's typical ones, not legal rules; many states also license this work, so check the state board before applying.
Higher pay is not the whole story: look at the rent share column (yearly rent divided by median pay) and the price level (100 is the national average). A metro with a lower salary but cheaper housing can leave more money at the end of the month. The location quotient shows where the occupation is concentrated; employers cluster where it is above 1, which usually means more openings and more competition among employers for the same skills.
Waiters and waitresses in Mississippi: the highest median pay is in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR area ($24,550 a year); the most jobs are in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR area (8,060). Statewide the median is $21,370 with 15,190 jobs. Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation are listed; click a column to sort.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Yearly rent as % of median pay ⇅ | Price level (US = 100) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 8,060 | $24,550 | $15,080 | $47,480 | 0.90 | 60% | 92.2 |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | 3,910 | $22,600 | $15,430 | $38,920 | 1.69 | 58% | 90.0 |
| Hattiesburg, MS | 1,010 | $21,830 | $15,080 | $39,220 | 1.11 | 56% | 87.6 |
| Jackson, MS | 2,750 | $21,440 | $15,430 | $44,380 | 0.70 | 60% | 89.0 |
National page: Waiters and waitresses →Cities of Mississippi
Rent uses the metro median gross rent (ACS) and appears only for metros that contain a city of this guide. "n/a" means BLS suppressed the figure or we have no rent for that metro.
In the Memphis, TN-MS-AR area, with a median of $24,550 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Memphis, TN-MS-AR area, with 8,060 jobs.