Skilled Wages

Construction laborer salary in Mississippi

Median $18.13 an hour for 8,800 construction laborers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$18.13/hrMedian hourly wageMississippi, May data
$37,710/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$14.12 – $25.3110th to 90th percentilehourly range
8,800Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-13

Construction laborer pay in Mississippi: the full range

Wage percentiles, MississippiMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40/hrMississippi: 10th $14.12 · 25th $16.25 · median $18.13 · 75th $22.01 · 90th $25.31Mississippi$18.13$14.12$25.31United States: 10th $16.87 · 25th $18.57 · median $22.66 · 75th $28.72 · 90th $37.54United States$22.66
Hourly wage percentiles for construction laborers: Mississippi vs United States, May 2025.

Mississippi ranks 49th of 51 states for median construction laborer pay, and 43rd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $20.84). 8,800 construction laborers work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.8× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$14.12 – $16.25$29,370 – $33,790roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$16.25 – $22.01$33,790 – $45,790the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$22.01 – $25.31$45,790 – $52,640the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Construction laborer pay by metro in Mississippi

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrMemphis: $21.54Memphis$21.54Gulfport: $18.69Gulfport$18.69Jackson: $18.20Jackson$18.20Hattiesburg: $17.17Hattiesburg$17.17
Median hourly wage for construction laborers by metro area in Mississippi, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Memphis$16.81$21.54$23.36$31.133,94019% above
Gulfport$14.24$18.69$20.77$28.081,0903% above
Jackson$14.50$18.20$20.45$23.722,020about the same as
Hattiesburg$13.54$17.17$19.60$22.684205% below

Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).

Construction laborer wages in Mississippi over time

Mississippi, 1999-2025MississippiUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$5$10$15$20$25200020052010201520202025$22.66United States$18.13Mississippi
Median hourly wage for construction laborers, Mississippi vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearMississippi $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$8.10$15.65$10.857,660
2000$8.82$16.49$11.157,280
2001$9.27$16.85$11.576,560
2002$9.35$16.73$11.906,880
2003$9.36$16.38$11.866,470
2004$9.31$15.87$12.106,050
2005$9.31$15.35$12.226,580
2006$9.75$15.57$12.667,330
2007$10.35$16.07$13.136,900
2008$11.11$16.61$13.717,750
2009$11.10$16.66$14.016,590
2010$11.34$16.74$14.087,010
2011$11.35$16.24$14.307,320
2012$11.62$16.29$14.427,740
2013$11.88$16.42$14.647,990
2014$11.99$16.31$14.957,350
2015$12.73$17.29$15.347,110
2016$13.18$17.68$16.076,380
2017$13.57$17.82$16.607,180
2018$13.81$17.71$17.218,010
2019$14.00$17.63$17.728,710
2020$14.48$18.01$18.229,110
2021$14.31$17.00$18.167,840
2022$15.61$17.17$19.597,380
2023$17.14$18.11$21.787,500
2024$17.88$18.35$22.478,260
2025$18.13$18.13$22.668,800

In today's dollars, the median construction laborer wage in Mississippi changed by +4.9% over the last ten years of data and by +2.8% since 2019.

Are there more construction laborer jobs in Mississippi?

+1.0%Jobs since 20198,710 then, 8,800 in 2025
+23.8%Jobs over 10 years2015 to 2025, employer survey
7.6Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 1.1× the US share, 24th of 51 states

Since 1999, the number of construction laborers counted in Mississippi has changed by +14.9%, against +43.7% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by +1.0%.

Construction laborers in Mississippi vs United States, 1999 = 100MississippiUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages6080100120140160200020052010201520202025144United States115Mississippi
Jobs counted by the BLS employer survey, Mississippi vs United States, indexed to 1999 = 100. Shaded bands mark survey method changes.
Table
YearMississippi jobsMississippi indexUS index
19997,660100100
20007,28095108
20016,56086108
20026,88090109
20036,47084110
20046,05079112
20056,58086122
20067,33096133
20076,90090138
20087,750101134
20096,59086112
20107,01092102
20117,32096102
20127,740101107
20137,990104108
20147,35096112
20157,11093116
20166,38083120
20177,18094126
20188,010105131
20198,710114134
20209,110119127
20217,840102127
20227,38096133
20237,50098134
20248,260108138
20258,800115144

Job counts are BLS OEWS survey estimates built from three years of samples, so moves of a few percent from one year to the next are within the survey's margin. Self-employed tradespeople are not counted. Areas with fewer than 3,000 jobs or a large sampling error are shown as a single figure rather than a trend.

Outlook for construction laborers in Mississippi

+9.7%Projected growth in Mississippi2024–2034, state agency
1,050Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
11,400Jobs in 202412,500 projected for 2034
+7.3%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Mississippi's labor market agency projects the number of construction laborers in the state to change by +9.7% between 2024 and 2034, from 11,400 to 12,500, with about 1,050 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +7.3% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 8,800 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: Mississippi labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).

Union scale and prevailing wage for construction laborers in Mississippi

On federally funded construction in Mississippi, contractors must pay construction laborers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 82 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $11.36). 82 of the 82 counties still use a survey rate dated 2017 or earlier (for example Adams County at $11.95). The market median for the state is $18.13.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, MSAdams: $11.95 (survey)Alcorn: $11.36 (survey)Amite: $11.95 (survey)Attala: $10.00 (survey)Benton: $12.00 (survey)Bolivar: $10.00 (survey)Calhoun: $11.36 (survey)Carroll: $10.00 (survey)Chickasaw: $11.36 (survey)Choctaw: $11.36 (survey)Claiborne: $11.95 (survey)Clarke: $10.88 (survey)Clay: $11.36 (survey)Coahoma: $10.00 (survey)Copiah: $13.49 (survey)Covington: $11.95 (survey)DeSoto: $12.00 (survey)Forrest: $12.53 (survey)Franklin: $11.95 (survey)George: $10.88 (survey)Greene: $10.88 (survey)Grenada: $10.00 (survey)Hancock: $10.56 (survey)Harrison: $10.91 (survey)Hinds: $12.95 (survey)Holmes: $10.00 (survey)Humphreys: $10.00 (survey)Issaquena: $11.95 (survey)Itawamba: $13.60 (survey)Jackson: $13.57 (survey)Jasper: $10.88 (survey)Jefferson: $11.95 (survey)Jefferson Davis: $11.95 (survey)Jones: $10.88 (survey)Kemper: $10.88 (survey)Lafayette: $12.07 (survey)Lamar: $13.29 (survey)Lauderdale: $10.88 (survey)Lawrence: $11.95 (survey)Leake: $10.88 (survey)Lee: $11.36 (survey)Leflore: $10.00 (survey)Lincoln: $11.95 (survey)Lowndes: $11.36 (survey)Madison: $13.49 (survey)Marion: $11.95 (survey)Marshall: $12.00 (survey)Monroe: $11.36 (survey)Montgomery: $10.00 (survey)Neshoba: $10.88 (survey)Newton: $10.88 (survey)Noxubee: $11.36 (survey)Oktibbeha: $11.36 (survey)Panola: $10.00 (survey)Pearl River: $10.88 (survey)Perry: $13.29 (survey)Pike: $11.95 (survey)Pontotoc: $11.36 (survey)Prentiss: $11.36 (survey)Quitman: $10.00 (survey)Rankin: $13.16 (survey)Scott: $10.88 (survey)Sharkey: $11.95 (survey)Simpson: $13.49 (survey)Smith: $10.88 (survey)Stone: $10.88 (survey)Sunflower: $10.00 (survey)Tallahatchie: $10.00 (survey)Tate: $12.00 (survey)Tippah: $11.36 (survey)Tishomingo: $11.36 (survey)Tunica: $12.00 (survey)Union: $11.36 (survey)Walthall: $11.95 (survey)Warren: $11.95 (survey)Washington: $10.00 (survey)Wayne: $10.88 (survey)Webster: $11.36 (survey)Wilkinson: $11.95 (survey)Winston: $11.36 (survey)Yalobusha: $10.00 (survey)Yazoo: $11.95 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$10.88$11.36$11.71$11.95survey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for construction laborers by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (survey)$10$15$20$25/hrLamar (Hattiesburg): market median $17.17, prevailing (survey) $13.29, gap −$3.88Lamar (Hattiesburg)−$3.88Copiah (Jackson): market median $18.20, prevailing (survey) $13.49, gap −$4.71Copiah (Jackson)−$4.71Jackson (Gulfport): market median $18.69, prevailing (survey) $13.57, gap −$5.12Jackson (Gulfport)−$5.12Benton (Memphis): market median $21.54, prevailing (survey) $12.00, gap −$9.54Benton (Memphis)−$9.54
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for construction laborers, metro counties in Mississippi.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
ItawambaSurvey SUMS2015-001 2017-04-03$12.83$0.77$13.60MS20260040
JacksonSurvey SUMS2015-013 2017-04-03$13.57$0.00$13.57MS20260052
CopiahSurvey SUMS2015-016 2017-04-03$11.61$1.88$13.49MS20260055
MadisonSurvey SUMS2015-016 2017-04-03$11.61$1.88$13.49MS20260055
SimpsonSurvey SUMS2015-016 2017-04-03$11.61$1.88$13.49MS20260055
LamarSurvey SUMS2015-017 2017-04-03$12.35$0.94$13.29MS20260056
PerrySurvey SUMS2015-017 2017-04-03$12.35$0.94$13.29MS20260056
RankinSurvey SUMS2015-014 2017-04-03$11.57$1.59$13.16MS20260053
HindsSurvey SUMS2015-012 2017-04-03$12.95$0.00$12.95MS20260051
ForrestSurvey SUMS2015-009 2017-04-03$12.53$0.00$12.53MS20260048
LafayetteSurvey SUMS2015-002 2017-04-03$12.07$0.00$12.07MS20260041
BentonSurvey SUMS2015-015 2017-04-03$12.00$0.00$12.00MS20260054
DeSotoSurvey SUMS2015-015 2017-04-03$12.00$0.00$12.00MS20260054
MarshallSurvey SUMS2015-015 2017-04-03$12.00$0.00$12.00MS20260054
TateSurvey SUMS2015-015 2017-04-03$12.00$0.00$12.00MS20260054

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Mississippi prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Mississippi?

55.6kConstruction jobsMississippi, 2026-09
+3.2%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202620k30k40k50k60k70k1990199520002005201020152020202556kSep 2026
Construction employment in Mississippi (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Contractor pay by county

Average pay at specialty trade contractors establishments by county (all employees, not just construction laborers), from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages. Across the 55 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 21,883 in 2015 to 25,233 in 2025, +15.3%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Tunica County662$87,142$1,676
Neshoba County23516$85,944$1,653
Greene County660$82,741$1,591
Marion County35364$78,445$1,509
Madison County1961,494$74,410$1,431
Hancock County49425$72,537$1,395
Lowndes County881,212$71,442$1,374
George County24150$71,249$1,370
Attala County16235$69,767$1,342
DeSoto County2041,895$69,197$1,331
Yazoo County12185$68,659$1,320
Marshall County50383$67,354$1,295

Keep comparing

Construction laborer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Mississippi

More on Mississippi

Questions this page answers

How much do construction laborers make in Mississippi?

The median construction laborer in Mississippi earned $18.13 an hour ($37,710 a year) in May 2025, 20% below the national median of $22.66. The middle half earn $16.25–$22.01; the top 10% earn more than $25.31.

Where does Mississippi rank for construction laborer pay?

Mississippi ranks 49th of 51 states for construction laborer pay, with a median of $18.13 an hour, and 43rd after adjusting for Mississippi's cost of living (BEA price parity 87.0, US = 100).

What is the union construction laborer rate in Mississippi?

Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a construction laborer classification for most Mississippi counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.

How many construction laborers work in Mississippi?

BLS counted 8,800 construction laborers in Mississippi in May 2025, 7.6 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.07; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is construction laborer work growing in Mississippi?

The BLS employer survey count of construction laborers in Mississippi went from 7,110 in 2015 to 8,800 in 2025, +23.8%, and +1.0% since 2019. Mississippi's labor market agency projects +9.7% growth for construction laborers between 2024 and 2034, from 11,400 to 12,500 jobs.

How many construction laborer openings a year are there in Mississippi?

Mississippi projects about 1,050 openings a year for construction laborers over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 120,000 a year.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Mississippi and metro areas, SOC 47-2061. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
  • BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
  • State projection: Mississippi labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.