Mississippi Wage & Hour Rules for Cleaning Workers
Answer
Mississippi has no minimum wage statute, so the federal $7.25 applies and no city may set another. The number that shapes a cleaning business here is workers' comp: coverage is not mandatory until five employees, one of the highest thresholds in the country.
- Mississippi is one of five states with no minimum wage statute of any kind; the federal $7.25/hr governs.
- Workers' comp required only for employers with 5+ employees under MS Code §71-3-71.
- No state law mandates meal or rest breaks for adult cleaning workers.
$7.25 Mississippi minimum wage (federal floor)
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Mississippi Minimum Wage for Cleaning Workers (2026)
Mississippi is one of a handful of states with no minimum wage statute of any kind — the federal $7.25 is the floor, and state law bars cities from enacting their own. What separates Mississippi from its neighbors is the workers' compensation threshold: coverage isn't mandatory until you employ five people, one of the highest triggers in the country. Small cleaning firms here routinely operate uninsured far longer than they would in Georgia or North Carolina, and the first serious injury is where that decision gets tested.
FLSA coverage note: FLSA covers enterprises with annual gross volume of sales or business of $500,000 or more, or individual employees engaged in interstate commerce. Most commercial cleaning companies meet the enterprise coverage threshold.
| Jurisdiction | Minimum Wage | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi statewide | $7.25/hr (Federal) | No state minimum wage law | DOL |
| Jackson | $7.25/hr (Federal) | No local ordinance | DOL |
| Gulfport/Biloxi | $7.25/hr (Federal) | No local ordinance | DOL |
Mississippi Overtime Rules
Mississippi follows federal FLSA overtime standards exclusively:
- Weekly overtime: Time-and-a-half for all hours over 40 in a workweek
- No daily overtime requirement
- Mississippi has no state-specific overtime law
Meal and Rest Break Requirements
Mississippi has no state law mandating meal or rest breaks for adult employees. FLSA rules govern. Mississippi youth workers (under 16) must receive a 30-minute break for shifts over 5 continuous hours under Mississippi Code §71-1-17.
Pay Frequency Requirements
Mississippi Code §71-1-35 (Wage and Hour Laws) requires:
- Wages paid at least semi-monthly for most employees
- Final wages: due by the next regular payday following termination
- All wages must be paid in US currency or check; direct deposit with prior written employee consent
Workers' Compensation in Mississippi
Administered by the Mississippi Workers' Compensation Commission (MWCC):
- Required for employers with 5 or more employees (MS Code §71-3-71 — one of the higher thresholds in the country)
- NCCI Class Code 9014 (Janitors) applies
- Estimated rates: $3.50–$6.50 per $100 payroll
- Mississippi requires coverage through private insurance carriers or approved self-insurance programs
Key threshold: The 5-employee threshold means small BSCs with fewer than 5 W-2 workers are not legally required to carry workers' comp — but operating without it creates serious financial risk if an employee is injured.
Exclusions: Corporate officers and sole proprietors may elect to exclude themselves from coverage.
Prevailing Wage
Mississippi has no state prevailing wage law. Federal SCA applies to federal facility cleaning contracts in Mississippi — check SAM.gov for applicable wage determinations.
Right-to-Work Status
Mississippi is a right-to-work state (Mississippi Constitution Article 7, Section 198A). Union cleaning activity in Mississippi is extremely limited. Mississippi is among the states with the lowest union density in the US.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the wage floor for cleaners in Jackson and on the Gulf Coast?
None at all. Mississippi is one of a handful of states with no minimum wage statute on the books, so the federal $7.25 is the only floor and state law bars cities from enacting their own. Jackson, Gulfport, and Biloxi all operate at the federal rate. Your wage decisions here are purely a function of the local labor market, which in the coastal casino corridor is tighter than the statutory floor would suggest.
Should a three-person Mississippi cleaning company carry workers' compensation?
Yes, even though MS Code section 71-3-71 does not require it until five employees. The arithmetic is not close. A single back injury or fall produces medical bills and lost wage claims that dwarf several years of premium, and without coverage you face that liability directly and personally. Most commercial clients also require a certificate as a condition of contract regardless of what the statute says, so the exemption tends to cost you work as well as protection.
How does the Service Contract Act apply to federal cleaning work in Mississippi?
The McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act covers service contracts above $2,500 and requires you to pay no less than the Department of Labor wage determination for the applicable classification and locality. In a state where the commercial floor is $7.25, the gap between market wages and an SCA determination is enormous, which is both the opportunity and the risk. Pull the determination for your county and NAICS from SAM.gov before you price anything at Keesler Air Force Base, Ingalls, or a federal building.
What break and pay-timing rules apply to Mississippi cleaning crews?
Essentially none from the state. Mississippi mandates no meal or rest breaks for adult workers and imposes no general pay frequency requirement beyond what federal law implies. That freedom cuts both ways: with no state framework, your entire wage and hour exposure runs through the FLSA, where accurate time records and correct overtime calculation are the whole ballgame. A state that regulates lightly is not a state where compliance is optional.
How we built this guide
Opora editorial sources from BLS OEWS wage tables, ISSA-447 production rates, NCCI workers' compensation classifications, EPA List N, OSHA 29 CFR standards, and primary state regulatory filings. We don't recycle blog posts — we audit primary documents.
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