Mississippi Cosmetologist Salary

The average 2104 cosmetologist salary in Mississippi was $27,940 according to the state’s Department of Employment Security (MDES). This was about the national average. Entry-level cosmetologists earned $16,820 a year on average while those with experience were paid an average of $33,500.

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Cosmetologist salaries in Mississippi varied widely between different metropolitan areas in the state according to MDES data. There was a difference of more than $13,500 between the average cosmetology salary in the Pascagoula area and that in the Hattiesburg area. Cosmetologists in Pascagoula at all levels of experience commanded higher salaries than their colleagues in other metropolitan areas:

Mississippi Area
Average
Experienced
Pascagoula
$34660
$40720
Gulfport-Biloxi
$25020
$29170
Hattiesburg
$21150
$23300

The actual take home pay for cosmetologists will be higher than those reported here, since tipping is customary.

Job Growth Projections for the Field of Cosmetology in Mississippi

The MDES expects that the number of cosmetology jobs in Mississippi will increase faster than the national average. It projects 15% growth in the period between 2010 and 2020. Thus, forty jobs a year will become available to cosmetologists, including those specializing as hairdressers, hairstylists, and manicurists.

Job growth projections in this occupational category vary widely in Mississippi’s metropolitan areas. They range from a low of 5.3% in the Hattiesburg area to a high of 50% in Pascagoula. With a projected job growth rate of 24%, Jackson is also expected to see job growth in the field of cosmetology that is above average for Mississippi as a whole.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics also provides detailed information on cosmetology salaries in Mississippi’s key regions as of 2013:

Area name
Employment
Annual mean wage
Gulfport-Biloxi MS
180
25020
Hattiesburg MS
120
21150
Jackson MS
Estimate not released
35510
Memphis TN-MS-AR
1390
28490
Pascagoula MS
50
34660
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area
340
30410
Northwest Mississippi nonmetropolitan area
50
19900
Southeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area
80
20330
Southwest Mississippi nonmetropolitan area
Estimate not released
25890

Though cosmetologists are generally skilled in working with both hair and nails, within the salon setting these services are typically performed by different people. The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides a separate data set for manicurist and pedicurist salaries in Mississippi (2013):

Area name
Employment
Annual mean wage
Jackson MS
180
21350
Memphis TN-MS-AR
130
29310

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