JACKSON, ma’am. – Living paycheck to paycheck? If it feels like you’re working all the time and can’t make ends meet, you’re not alone. And it may not just be about better budgeting. The living wage across Mississippi is higher than the federal minimum wage, meaning most people need to earn much more than the lowest wage level to buy groceries and pay bills without assistance. See how your salary compares and how much pay you need to get home to live comfortably in your community.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s living wage calculator determined what a person in a household would need to earn to support themselves or their family and remain self-sufficient if they worked full-time 2,080 hours per year. The federal poverty line is still based on three times the minimum food budget in 1963, and MIT created the poverty wage based on 2024 data from the Department of Health and Human Services’ poverty guidelines.
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An adult in Mississippi without children must earn $19.89 an hour to be self-sufficient. The poverty wage is $7.24 for an adult in Mississippi without children. It is one cent less than the federal minimum of $7.25. The required income to cover costs, including housing, food, transportation, and telephone/internet services, is approximately $41,361 before taxes and $35,287 after.
If a single adult has three children, the living wage is about $47.50 per hour. The poverty wage is $15 per hour. The required income to cover costs is $98,795 before taxes and $87,360 after.
Two adults in a household, one of whom works, need $27.52 per hour to live without assistance. The poverty wage is $9.83. The required income to cover costs is $57,258 before taxes.
A family with two adults, one working parent, and three children needs a living wage of $39.72, and the poverty wage is $17.59 per hour. Required income before taxes is $82,620.
In a family of four with two children and two working parents, the living wage is $21.37 per hour, and the poverty wage is $7.50. They need at least $88,895 per year before taxes.
Learn more about living wages in Mississippi metro areas and how many people in the state live in poverty below.
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What is the minimum wage in Mississippi?
The minimum wage in Mississippi is $7.25 per hour for non-exempt workers. The Magnolia State is one of many states without its own rate. Instead, that is determined by the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
The last minimum wage increase in the United States was in 2009.
How many people in Mississippi live in poverty?
According to the US Census Bureau, approximately 18% of Mississippians live in poverty.
The median household income in the state is $54,915, and the median income per person is $30,529.
What is a living wage in Jackson?
In the Jackson metro area, the hourly living wage required for one adult without children is $21.02, while that with one child is $32.93, two children are $39.48 and three children are $49.76. The average cost is $41,361 for an adult without children, $65,515 with one child, $78,075 with two children and $98,795 with three children.
The wage for two adults (one working) without children is $28.57, for those with one child $34.51, for two children $39.02 and for three children $40.68. The average cost is $57,258 for two adults without children, $69,413 with one, $78,613 with two and $82,620 with three.
The wage for two adults (both working) without children is $14.21, while those with one child are $18.66, two are $22.39 and three are $24.78. The average expenditure is $56,960 without children, $74,404 with one child, $88,895, with two children and $98,626 with three children.
What is a living wage in Hattiesburg?
In the Hattiesburg metro area, the hourly living wage required for one adult without children is $19.29, while that with one child is $31.98, for two children is $38.29 and for three children is $48.69. The average cost is $40,122 for an adult without children, $66,516 with one child, $79,649 with two children and $101,284 with three children.
The wage for two adults (one working) without children is $27.59, for those with one child $33.59, for two children $38.02 and for three children $40.03. The average cost is $57,387 for two adults without children, $69,869 with one, $79,083 with two and $83,261 with three.
The wage for two adults (both working) without children is $13.72, while those with one child are $18.13, two are $21.75 and three are $24.26. The average expenses are $57,089 without children, $75,423 with one child, $90,489, with two children and $100,938 with three children.
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What is a living wage in Gulfport-Biloxi?
In the Gulfport-Biloxi metro area, the hourly living wage required for one adult without children is $19.68, while that with one child is $32.24, two children are $38.44 and three children are $49.23. The average cost is $40,937 for an adult without children, $67,052 with one child, $79,951 with two children and $102,405 with three children.
The wage for two adults (one working) without children is $27.86, those with one child $33.94, two children $38.37 and three children $40.87. The average cost is $57,948 for two adults without children, $70,592 for one, $79,804 for two and $85,006 for three.
The wage for two adults (both working) without children is $13.86, while those with one child are $18.26, two are $21.83 and three are $24.54. The average expenses are $57,650 without children, $75,941 with one child, $90,801, with two children and $102,083 with three children.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: What is a living wage in Mississippi? What the MIT calculator says
