Skip to content
The Mandate Monitor

What employers in Mississippi must do

Checked November 7, 2026From the agencies that run each program

Short answer

Most employers in Mississippi must pay at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour; Mississippi doesn’t set a higher one.

Mississippi has no state paid family and medical leave insurance program.

Running payroll in Mississippi? See the do-it-yourself route and list prices for the 8 payroll systems that say they file payroll taxes.

Mississippi requirements at a glance

RequirementStatusWhat it means for you
Minimum wageIn effect$7.25 an hour

Pay rules Mississippi employers must follow

Paydays
We found no general frequency rule. Manufacturers with 50 or more employees and public service companies must pay every two weeks or twice a month.
Final paycheck, fired
We found no state deadline. Federal law doesn’t require immediate payment; pay by the regular payday for the last pay period worked.
Final paycheck, quit
We found no state deadline. Federal law doesn’t require immediate payment; pay by the regular payday for the last pay period worked.
Meal breaks
We found no state requirement for adults.
Rest breaks
We found no state requirement for adults.
Overtime
Follows the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) rule: time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek. We found no separate state overtime rule.
New hire reporting
Within 15 business days of the first day on the job, to the Mississippi State Directory of New Hires

From the Mississippi Department of Employment Security and the U.S. Department of Labor’s state tables, checked November 7, 2026.

Upcoming Mississippi deadlines

No dated Mississippi deadlines on file right now. Federal year-end filings still apply.

Deadline calendar for every state · How to hire your first employee · Employer law changes for 2027 · All states

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (no state minimum wage agency)
  2. State Payday Requirements (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
  3. Minimum Length of Meal Period Required under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
  4. Minimum Paid Rest Period Requirements Under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
  5. Last Paycheck, U.S. Department of Labor (read Nov 8, 2026)
  6. Employment Issues (most are enforced by federal agencies), Mississippi Department of Employment Security (read Nov 7, 2026)
  7. Reporting Fundamentals, Mississippi State Directory of New Hires (read Nov 7, 2026)