H1B Jobs in Mississippi: 2025 Employer & Salary Guide
Mississippi has one of the smaller H1B markets in the South, filing approximately 900 H1B LCA applications per year. The state's economy centers on healthcare, manufacturing, and aerospace/defense. The Gulf Coast (Gulfport/Biloxi) hosts significant defense and shipbuilding operations, while Jackson serves as the healthcare hub. The University of Mississippi Medical Center is the state's largest H1B employer.
Top H1B Employers in Mississippi
- • University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, largest H1B employer
- • Northrop Grumman (Moss Point), ship systems, defense engineering
- • Ingalls Shipbuilding (HII), Pascagoula, naval shipbuilding engineering
- • Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Blue Springs, automotive engineering
- • Viking Range/Middleby, Greenwood, manufacturing engineering
- • Sanderson Farms, Laurel, food processing engineering
- • Baptist Memorial Health Care, Jackson, healthcare H1B
- • St. Dominic Health Services, Jackson, healthcare
- • Mississippi State University, Starkville, research and faculty H1B
- • University of Mississippi, Oxford, research and medical school H1B
Top Cities for H1B Jobs in Mississippi
- • Jackson, state capital, healthcare hub, UMMC
- • Gulfport, tourism, defense, shipbuilding
- • Biloxi, casinos, Keesler AFB, defense
- • Hattiesburg, University of Southern Mississippi, healthcare
- • Tupelo, Toyota, furniture manufacturing
- • Pascagoula, Ingalls Shipbuilding, naval engineering
- • Ridgeland, suburban Jackson, healthcare
- • Meridian, NAS Meridian, healthcare
- • Oxford, University of Mississippi campus
- • Starkville, Mississippi State University, engineering
Most Common H1B Job Titles in Mississippi
- • Physician/Surgeon, $195,000–$310,000 (highest volume)
- • Registered Nurse, $56,000–$74,000
- • Manufacturing/Quality Engineer, $75,000–$105,000
- • Naval/Marine Engineer, $88,000–$125,000
- • Software Engineer, $85,000–$120,000
- • Research Scientist, $72,000–$100,000
- • Automotive Engineer, $82,000–$115,000
- • Environmental Engineer, $72,000–$95,000
Key Industries Sponsoring H1B in Mississippi
Healthcare is Mississippi's dominant H1B industry, driven by the state's persistent physician shortage, one of the most severe in the US. UMMC, Baptist Memorial, and regional health systems sponsor physicians and specialists in large numbers. Defense and shipbuilding anchor the Gulf Coast, Ingalls Shipbuilding (part of HII) is the Navy's primary destroyer and amphibious ship builder, employing naval engineers and designers. Toyota's Blue Springs facility and automotive supplier plants generate manufacturing engineering H1B demand.
Tips for H1B Job Seekers in Mississippi
- → UMMC is Mississippi's largest H1B employer by far, physicians in primary care, psychiatry, and specialties are in extremely high demand
- → Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula is one of the few places to find naval engineering H1B roles in the Southeast
- → Toyota Blue Springs sponsors H1B for manufacturing and quality engineers, Japanese automotive expertise an advantage
- → Mississippi has among the lowest costs of living in the US, housing costs are exceptionally low
- → J-1 waiver (Conrad 30) is widely used for physicians in Mississippi's medically underserved areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What H1B employers are in Mississippi?
The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Ingalls Shipbuilding, Toyota Blue Springs, Northrop Grumman (Moss Point), and Mississippi's major healthcare systems are the primary H1B employers. Healthcare dominates volume; defense and automotive provide engineering roles.
Is Mississippi good for H1B physicians?
Mississippi has one of the worst physician shortages in the US, making it highly receptive to H1B and J-1 waiver physicians. UMMC and regional hospitals actively recruit internationally. The Conrad 30 J-1 waiver program is widely used for physicians who agree to practice in underserved areas.
What is the H1B salary in Mississippi?
Mississippi's median H1B wage is approximately $80,000, the lowest of any US state. However, Mississippi also has the lowest cost of living in the US. Physicians earn $195,000–$310,000. Manufacturing engineers earn $75,000–$105,000. These wages provide strong purchasing power locally.
Does Ingalls Shipbuilding sponsor H1B?
Ingalls Shipbuilding, part of HII (Huntington Ingalls Industries), sponsors H1B for naval architects, marine engineers, systems engineers, and software engineers at its Pascagoula MS facility, one of the largest shipbuilding yards in the US.
Are there H1B tech jobs in Jackson Mississippi?
Jackson's tech H1B jobs are primarily in healthcare IT (UMMC, Baptist, Anthem Blue Cross), state government IT, and a small but growing startup ecosystem. Jackson is the state capital and healthcare hub but lacks the tech company concentration of Nashville or Birmingham.