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Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas pay in Mississippi and Washington
The May 2025 BLS OEWS median for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas is $60,680 per year in Mississippi. It is $80,490 per year in Washington. Mississippi is 24.6% below Washington on the published median.
Both rows use SOC 47-5023 and the same annual wage metric. Median means the middle of each area's published wage spread. It is not one worker's pay. The larger median is not proof that one place gives a better job or a better result. It is one wage fact from one source period.
BLS lists 250 wage and salary jobs in Mississippi and 210 in Washington. Those are survey job counts, not open posts. Read pay, job scale, local share, and price level as separate facts before you make a choice.
Evidence: bls-oews-may-2025 · Rule: same-soc-same-metric-pair · nominal-median-gap · employment-not-openings
