How much does an MA make in Mississippi?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $34,800 for MAs in Mississippi as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $30,560 and the 75th-percentile is $37,960.

What does the top of the MA pay scale look like in Mississippi?

The 90th percentile lands at $44,600. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $37,960.

How many MAs does Mississippi employ?

BLS OES counts 3,700 MAs employed in Mississippi in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

Why is the BEA RPP for Mississippi different from a single CPI number?

BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. Mississippi's overall index of 86.8 reflects rents 54.9, services 83.5, and goods 94.4.

How wide is the wage spread in Mississippi?

P10 to P90 spans $28,080 to $44,600. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Mississippi?

The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within Mississippi.

Does CMA / RMA certification raise medical assistant pay in Mississippi?

BLS does not split certified from uncertified medical assistants under SOC 31-9092. In Mississippi, AAMA-certified Medical Assistant (CMA) and AMT Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) credentials typically command a 5-15% pay premium versus uncertified MAs at comparable experience. The premium is concentrated in larger health systems and specialty clinics with formal MA tier structures; smaller primary-care practices in Mississippi often pay similarly regardless of certification. Phlebotomy, EKG, and limited-X-ray endorsements add additional 3-8% premiums where state scope permits.

Mississippi Medical Assistant Salary: BLS $35K Median, Real $40K (2026)

TL;DR

Median MA salary in Mississippi: $34,800 nominal, $40,096 real (BEA RPP basis).
P25-P75 spread runs $30,560 to $37,960; P10 floor $28,080, P90 ceiling $44,600.
Low BEA RPP (86.8) means the paycheck stretches further than the BLS number suggests; net lift roughly $5,296.
State ranks #51 nationally on nominal wage, #47 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.

Wage breakdown — Mississippi

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$28,080	$32,353
P25 (lower quartile)	$30,560	$35,211
P50 (median)	$34,800	$40,096
P75 (upper quartile)	$37,960	$43,737
P90 (top tier)	$44,600	$51,387
Mean	$35,620	$41,041
Employment	3,700 MAs in Mississippi

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Mississippi index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	86.8
Goods	94.4
Services	83.5
Rents	54.9

Mississippi sits below the national baseline (RPP 86.8), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 54.9.

After-tax take-home — Mississippi (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (MA)	$34,800	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$2,038	5.9% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$900	4.0% above $10K (2026, HB 1733)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$2,662	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$29,200	83.9% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$33,643	÷ (86.8 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Mississippi state-tax burden means for MA take-home

Mid-band state-tax burden at 2.6% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $29,200 (83.9% of gross). After the 86.8 RPP, real take-home is $33,643.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $44,200 for MAs with mean pay of $44,720 and total employment of 793,460. Mississippi sits at #51 on nominal pay and #47 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Mississippi climbs 4 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an MA make in Mississippi?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $34,800 for MAs in Mississippi as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $30,560 and the 75th-percentile is $37,960.
What does the top of the MA pay scale look like in Mississippi?: The 90th percentile lands at $44,600. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $37,960.
How many MAs does Mississippi employ?: BLS OES counts 3,700 MAs employed in Mississippi in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
Why is the BEA RPP for Mississippi different from a single CPI number?: BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. Mississippi's overall index of 86.8 reflects rents 54.9, services 83.5, and goods 94.4.
How wide is the wage spread in Mississippi?: P10 to P90 spans $28,080 to $44,600. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Mississippi?: The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within Mississippi.
Does CMA / RMA certification raise medical assistant pay in Mississippi?: BLS does not split certified from uncertified medical assistants under SOC 31-9092. In Mississippi, AAMA-certified Medical Assistant (CMA) and AMT Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) credentials typically command a 5-15% pay premium versus uncertified MAs at comparable experience. The premium is concentrated in larger health systems and specialty clinics with formal MA tier structures; smaller primary-care practices in Mississippi often pay similarly regardless of certification. Phlebotomy, EKG, and limited-X-ray endorsements add additional 3-8% premiums where state scope permits.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 31-9092, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-07.

Cross-comparison: see how Mississippi MA pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.