Labor Market Pulse · Finance · October 2026
Finance Labor Market Report: MS NONMETROPOLITAN AREA — October 2026
Mississippi nonmetro finance pay splits sharply by role.
Financial Analyst advertised pay jumped to $74,146 locally while FP&A Manager pay fell to $119,209, against a backdrop of state labor force participation sliding to 54.7%.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Mississippi labor force participation: 54.7% — Down from 55.7% a year prior; lowest since Apr. 2024
- State unemployment rate: 3.3% — Sept. 2026, lowest since July 2024
- Finance/insurance avg. weekly wage: $1,019 — Down 1.1% YoY vs. +5.1% national finance wage growth
- FP&A Manager advertised pay (metro): $119,209 — Down significantly vs. $130,000 national median, up
Key takeaways
Mississippi's tight labor pool is shrinking.
Statewide labor force participation dropped to 54.7%, the lowest since April 2024, even as unemployment held near multi-year lows. Low unemployment here reflects fewer available workers, a distinction that should temper optimism in headcount cost forecasts.
Finance wages are falling locally while scarcity rises nationally.
Mississippi finance and insurance average weekly wages fell 1.1% year-over-year to $1,019, even as national financial-role wages rose 5.1%. Controllers and treasurers recruited against national benchmarks may expect compensation pressure that state-level data understates.
FP&A Manager pay is dropping sharply against a rising national trend.
Metro FP&A Manager advertised pay fell significantly to $119,209 while the national median climbed to $130,000 — a widening gap uncommon for a senior finance role. This may reflect a thinner local pipeline for senior finance leadership roles, and warrants a closer look before setting FP&A compensation ranges for 2027 budget cycles.
Financial Analyst pay is surging while senior roles stagnate.
Local Financial Analyst advertised pay rose significantly to $74,146, narrowing the gap with the $94,646 national median, even as Controller and FP&A Manager pay moved in opposite directions. Current conditions suggest employers are competing hardest for analytical talent that supports data-driven decision-making, a priority Finance leaders should weigh when allocating merit budgets.
Median advertised pay by role — MS NONMETROPOLITAN AREA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controller | $70,434 | $97,661 | $109,867 | Moderate increase | $115,420 |
| Senior Accountant | $72,500 | $76,718 | $76,718 | Stable | $87,731 |
| Financial Analyst | $61,711 | $74,146 | $84,385 | Significant increase | $94,646 |
| Billing Specialist | $33,031 | $34,773 | $37,253 | Moderate decline | $49,000 |
| Tax Specialist | $28,837 | $36,245 | $37,953 | Significant decline | $69,556 |
| Credit Analyst | $58,921 | $61,839 | $75,920 | Moderate increase | $71,397 |
| FP&A Manager * | $96,751 | $119,209 | $128,330 | Significant decline | $130,000 |
* State-level figure shown where metro postings were too few.
WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings (reported as the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay). Download: CSV · JSON
Local market conditions
Mississippi nonmetro labor markets remain locked in a no-hire, no-fire pattern, with statewide employment falling roughly 700 jobs from August to September even as unemployment held near 3.3%, the lowest since July 2024, masking a labor force participation rate that slid to 54.7% — among the lowest in the nation. Finance sector headcount in the state grew a modest 1.2% year-over-year to 35,000 jobs, but average weekly wages in finance and insurance fell 1.1% to $1,019, pointing to a labor pool that is shrinking in size while its value declines as well.
What it means
Flat statewide payroll growth combined with falling participation suggests Finance leaders should expect headcount replacement to dominate workforce planning through year-end, particularly as attrition appears to be driving the modest job losses. National CFO turnover at 18.3% and finance talent shortages reported by 85% of CFOs (MAVI) compound local scarcity, raising vacancy risk during close and audit cycles in a market where specialized finance talent is already thin. Consider building contingency coverage for controller and FP&A roles into close-cycle planning, given that local Financial Analyst advertised pay rose significantly (up to $74,146 median) while FP&A Manager pay fell sharply — a divergence that may signal employers are concentrating retention spend on analytical capacity over management layers.
Looking ahead
Expected data release: MDES publishes official October 2026 state and metro employment data on November 24, with BLS metro-level figures following December 2. Finance leaders should hold off finalizing 2027 headcount cost assumptions until these releases confirm whether the September dip was a blip or a trend.
Emerging pressure point: Data center investment exceeding $65 billion statewide has added roughly 23,000 jobs and is fragmenting local labor pools across sectors. Watch whether finance and accounting talent in nonmetro counties faces new competition from these projects' administrative and operational hiring.
Worth watching: Manufacturing dominates Mississippi's 2026 WARN filings (8 of 12 notices, 596 workers affected), a sector concentrated in several nonmetro counties. Any acceleration in manufacturing layoffs could expand the local finance and accounting candidate pool faster than current scarcity suggests.
Potential inflection point: National CFO external hiring rates climbed to 37.5% in 2026, the highest in years, alongside 70% of finance leaders increasing contract talent use. Nonmetro Mississippi organizations competing for scarce finance leadership should monitor whether contract and interim staffing becomes a more cost-effective bridge during vacancy periods.
Sources
- Mississippi Department of Employment Security — Mississippi labor force participation fell to 54.7%, lowest since April 2024
- Mississippi Today — Employment dropped ~700 jobs from August to September 2026
- Mississippi Department of Employment Security — Finance/insurance wages fell 1.1% YoY to $1,019 in Mississippi
- Crist|Kolder — CFO turnover projected at 18.3% in 2026, highest since pandemic
- MAVI — 85% of CFOs report finance talent shortages affecting operations
- Mississippi Department of Employment Security — Mississippi WARN filings concentrated in manufacturing (8 of 12 notices)
Methodology
Advertised pay from active employer job postings, not survey data. WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings: distribution analysis shows roughly the lowest 10% of raw values are erroneous entries, so the reported median is the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay. WageScape observes 98% of U.S. job openings daily.
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