The median math teacher salary in Mississippi is $50,980 for high school teachers and $50,790 for middle school teachers, according to May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics data. BLS reports these figures for teachers of all subjects, including math. Both sit well below the national medians of $72,040 and $64,370.
If you’re planning to teach math in Mississippi, expect middle and high school pay to be nearly identical, and lower than in any neighboring state. Mississippi ranks second from the bottom among the 50 states and DC at both grade levels, ahead of only Oklahoma. Your pay rises with your license class and years of experience, and high school pay runs highest in Gulfport-Biloxi and the Memphis metro.
Mississippi Math Teacher Salary by Grade Level
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, high school teachers in Mississippi earned a median annual salary of $50,980 as of May 2025, and middle school teachers earned $50,790. BLS doesn’t track math teachers as a separate occupation, so these figures cover every subject. Nationally, high school teachers earned a median of $72,040 and middle school teachers $64,370, as our breakdown of the national salary picture shows.
| Occupation | Employment | Median Annual Wage | 75th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High School Teachers | 10,400 | $50,980 | $60,360 | $62,850 |
| Middle School Teachers | 6,260 | $50,790 | $59,340 | $60,860 |
Look at the 90th percentile. Mississippi high school teachers at that level earn $62,850, which is still below the national median of $72,040. Middle school follows the same pattern: $60,860 at the 90th percentile, against a national median of $64,370. If you’re comparing Mississippi with a higher-paying state, don’t expect seniority alone to close that gap.
How Your License Class and Experience Raise Your Pay
Mississippi sets a statewide minimum salary scale for public school teachers in Section 37-19-7 of the Mississippi Code. Your place on it depends on your license class and your years of teaching experience. A Class A license goes with a bachelor’s degree, Class AA with a master’s, Class AAA with a specialist degree and Class AAAA with a doctorate.
Districts must pay at least the state scale, and they can add a local supplement on top. BLS figures don’t split pay by degree or experience, so the district’s certified salary schedule is the only place to see that detail. Ask for it before you accept an offer.
Math Teacher Salary in Mississippi by Metro Area
BLS reports teacher pay for four metro areas that include part of Mississippi. Three sit entirely inside the state: Gulfport-Biloxi, Hattiesburg and Jackson. The fourth, Memphis, TN-MS-AR, crosses into Tennessee and Arkansas, so its figures blend districts from all three states and don’t show what a Mississippi district in that metro pays.
Jackson employs the most teachers of the Mississippi-only metros, with 2,400 high school and 1,310 middle school teachers, and its medians track the state’s closely. Gulfport-Biloxi pays high school teachers the most of the three, at a $57,240 median, though its middle school median of $50,160 is below the state’s. Hattiesburg’s high school median of $49,590 is the lowest of the four metros.
Rural, nonmetropolitan parts of the state aren’t covered by these metro figures. If you’re looking at a rural district, use the statewide median as your benchmark and check that district’s salary schedule.
High School Teachers by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Employment | Median Annual Wage | 75th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | 1,190 | $57,240 | $61,000 | $62,970 |
| Hattiesburg, MS | 670 | $49,590 | $60,400 | $61,400 |
| Jackson, MS | 2,400 | $50,980 | $61,530 | $62,850 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 4,860 | $62,230 | $69,020 | $79,180 |
Middle School Teachers by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Employment | Median Annual Wage | 75th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | 740 | $50,160 | $60,660 | $61,440 |
| Hattiesburg, MS | 250 | $50,290 | $58,600 | $59,700 |
| Jackson, MS | 1,310 | $50,820 | $60,240 | $60,860 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 1,750 | $58,380 | $65,140 | $76,540 |
How Mississippi Compares to Neighboring States
Mississippi borders four states: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee. All four pay both middle and high school teachers more than Mississippi does, based on May 2025 BLS medians.
| State | High School Median | Middle School Median |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | $50,980 | $50,790 |
| Alabama | $61,990 | $61,770 |
| Arkansas | $59,660 | $59,570 |
| Louisiana | $59,850 | $58,760 |
| Tennessee | $61,860 | $60,690 |
Alabama has the highest medians of the group at both grade levels. If you live near a border, remember that each state licenses its own teachers, so teaching across the line means meeting that state’s certification rules, not just commuting. For more on two of these neighbors, see what Arkansas pays math teachers and Louisiana’s math teacher salary figures, metro areas included.
Job Outlook for Math Teachers in Mississippi
Projections Central, drawing on projections from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, estimates a -0.5% change in employment for high school teachers in Mississippi between 2024 and 2034, from 11,900 to 11,840 jobs, with an average of 740 openings per year. For middle school teachers it estimates a -0.8% change, from 7,400 to 7,340 jobs, with an average of 480 openings per year. Employment is close to flat, and those openings come from teachers retiring or leaving the classroom.
Nationally, the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook projects little or no change for both occupations between 2025 and 2035. Employment of high school teachers is projected to go from 1,087,500 to 1,085,000, with about 63,500 openings a year. Employment of middle school teachers is projected to go from 630,100 to 627,400, with about 38,800 openings a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do math teachers make in Mississippi?
High school teachers in Mississippi earned a median annual salary of $50,980 as of May 2025, and middle school teachers earned $50,790, according to the BLS. These figures include teachers of all subjects, because BLS doesn’t report math teachers separately.
Do math teachers earn more than other teachers in Mississippi?
Not under the state’s pay rules. Mississippi’s minimum salary scale sets pay by license class and years of experience, not by subject. Districts can add local supplements, so check the salary schedule of any district you apply to.
Where do math teachers earn the most in Mississippi?
Among metro areas fully inside the state, Gulfport-Biloxi has the highest high school median at $57,240. The Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro is higher at $62,230, but that figure includes Tennessee and Arkansas districts.
Does a master’s degree raise a Mississippi teacher’s salary?
Yes. A master’s degree can move you from a Class A to a Class AA license, which carries a higher minimum base salary on the state scale. Your district’s salary schedule shows the exact difference at your experience level.
Are math teaching jobs growing in Mississippi?
Not in total numbers. Projections Central estimates a -0.5% change for high school teachers and a -0.8% change for middle school teachers in Mississippi between 2024 and 2034. You’ll still see about 740 high school and 480 middle school openings a year as teachers retire or leave.
- Median pay: Mississippi high school teachers earned a $50,980 median and middle school teachers $50,790 as of May 2025, for teachers of all subjects (BLS).
- National rank: Mississippi is second-lowest among the 50 states and DC at both grade levels, ahead of only Oklahoma.
- Best-paying metro: Gulfport-Biloxi leads the Mississippi-only metros for high school pay, at a $57,240 median.
- What moves your pay: The state scale in Section 37-19-7 raises minimum pay with your license class and years of experience.
- Job outlook: Employment is projected to dip slightly through 2034, with about 740 high school and 480 middle school openings a year.
2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Middle School Teachers and High School Teachers, which include teachers of all subjects. Job growth projections (2024-2034) are from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, Projections Central. Figures reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed October 2026. National job outlook figures (2025-2035) are from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
On a Mississippi salary, what your preparation program costs matters as much as what you’ll earn. The schools listed here include online math education programs, so you can compare tuition and format before you commit.