Cost of hiring in the Upper East Mississippi nonmetro area
BLS counts about 16,090 people in these 17 roles in the Upper East Mississippi nonmetro area1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($78,640 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($30,610), and Customer Support Specialist is the largest job, with about 2,560 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in the Upper East Mississippi nonmetro area
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -13.6% | 50 | |
| Office Manager | -14.8% | 2,390 | |
| Bookkeeper | -17.3% | 2,070 | |
| HR Assistant | -17.5% | 140 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -18.6% | 2,560 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -19.1% | 200 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -19.2% | 70 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -19.5% | 1,270 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -22.1% | 2,310 | |
| Accountant | -23.0% | 1,000 | |
| Project Coordinator | -23.1% | 580 | |
| Paralegal | -23.6% | 420 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -23.8% | 1,200 | |
| Recruiter | -24.0% | 720 | |
| Executive Assistant | -29.2% | 240 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -30.9% | 430 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -35.5% | 440 |
The employer pays more than the wage: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, so a $36,440 median for customer support specialists, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $47,019 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
the Upper East Mississippi nonmetro area against the US
The Upper East Mississippi nonmetro area pays below the US median for all 17 roles. The gap is smallest for e-commerce order specialists (-13.6%) and office managers (-14.8%) and largest for marketing specialists (-35.5%). The middle gap across all 17 is -22.1%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for e-commerce order specialists, #221 of 287 areas by median pay; its lowest is for medical administrative assistants, #509 of 516.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, the Upper East Mississippi nonmetro area has more office managers (14.9% of these jobs here, against 9.1% nationally) and HR assistants (0.9% against 0.6%), and fewer sales development representatives (2.7% against 7.9%) and marketing specialists (2.7% against 5.7%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Fort Smith, AR-OK is nearest, at -22.1%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| McAllen-Edinburg, TX | -21.6% | 17 | 28,300 |
| Upper East Mississippi (Nonmetro) | -22.1% (this area) | 17 | 16,090 |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | -22.1% | 16 | 7,690 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | -22.3% | 14 | 3,590 |
| Hammond, LA | -22.6% | 14 | 3,540 |
| Valdosta, GA | -22.8% | 15 | 4,420 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in the Upper East Mississippi nonmetro area span $32,840–$99,980, the widest band (3.0×); medical administrative assistants the narrowest, $29,690–$46,010. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 8 of 17 roles, marketing specialists most ($43,390–$155,480 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives, marketing specialists, accountants and 2 more roles: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($60,590 against a $48,350 median for sales development representatives).
the Upper East Mississippi nonmetro area against Mississippi
Against Mississippi as a whole, the Upper East Mississippi nonmetro area pays more for 3 of 17 roles, led by payroll specialists (+4.3%) and paralegals (+4.0%), and less for 10, most of all marketing specialists (-10.3%). It has the lowest median in Mississippi for HR assistants and data entry specialists.
Other areas in Mississippi
By jobs in these roles, the Upper East Mississippi nonmetro area is #2 of 7 areas in Mississippi. The table shows the other 6.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Jackson, MS | 25,750 | 17 |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | 12,820 | 17 |
| Lower East Mississippi (Nonmetro) | 9,210 | 17 |
| West Delta Mississippi (Nonmetro) | 6,720 | 16 |
| Lower West Mississippi (Nonmetro) | 6,110 | 15 |
| Hattiesburg, MS | 5,210 | 15 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in the Upper East Mississippi nonmetro area?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $78,640 a year, about $101,471 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $30,610.
Is hiring in the Upper East Mississippi nonmetro area cheaper than the US median?
Yes, for every role we track: all 17 medians are below the US figure, the furthest for marketing specialists (-35.5%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.