worthsay

Data Science Salary in Mississippi: Is It a Good Career?

Mississippi · 2026 BLS salary data

Data Science pay in Mississippi

The median wage is $69,490/yr — 42% below the national median. Among U.S. states, Mississippiis one of the lowest-paying states (#49 of 49).

The numbers in Mississippi

Real BLS state-level figures for Data Science.

Median salary
$69,490/yr
Pay range (25th–75th)
$51,060 – $99,030
National median
$120,230/yr
Employed in Mississippi
440

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS), state estimates, May 2025 release.

What that pay is really worth in Mississippi

Salary alone can mislead — Mississippi costs 13% less than the U.S. average. Here's the median adjusted for local prices (real purchasing power).

Cost of living (US=100)
87
Nominal median
$69,490
Adjusted for cost of living
≈ $79,874
State income tax
Up to 4.4%

Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities (all items, US=100), 2024. Adjusted pay = nominal median ÷ (RPP/100) — purchasing power vs the U.S. average. State income tax = top marginal rate on wage income (Tax Foundation, 2025); your effective rate is lower and depends on income and deductions.

FAQ

How much do data science professionals make in Mississippi?

The median annual wage is $69,490 (BLS OEWS, state estimates), with the middle 50% earning between $51,060 and $99,030. That's 42% below the national median.

Is Mississippi a good state for data science?

By raw pay, Mississippi is one of the lowest-paying states (#49 of 49). Adjusted for cost of living (Mississippi costs 13% less than the U.S. average), that median is worth about $79,874.

Are data science professionals in demand in Mississippi?

About 440 people work in this field in Mississippi (BLS OEWS). Nationally, BLS projects +33.5% employment growth for this field from 2024 to 2034.

The verdict, pros, and cons below apply to Data Science nationally — Mississippi pay is 42% below the national median. See the full Data Science career guide →

The verdict

Yes — data science has the highest projected growth in this set and pays very well. But the bar is high: strong stats, coding, and often a quantitative degree, and 'entry-level' roles are competitive.

Pros & cons

Pros

  • Highest projected growth of any career in this set
  • Very high, well-above-median pay
  • Remote-friendly, demand across every industry
  • Intellectually rich (stats, ML, business impact)
  • Strong path into ML engineering and leadership

Cons

  • High skill bar: statistics, coding, ML
  • Often expects a quantitative degree
  • 'Entry-level' roles are competitive
  • Role definitions vary wildly between companies
  • A lot of the job is data cleaning, not modeling

Who it's for

✓ A good fit if…

  • Quantitatively strong, analytical people
  • Those who enjoy coding and statistics
  • Anyone targeting high pay in a booming field

✗ Probably not if…

  • People who dislike math and programming
  • Those wanting a low-barrier entry

What people are actually asking

Real Reddit discussions on whether Data Science is worth it — titles link to the original threads.