Best Trade Schools in Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Start here to compare accredited trade schools near Hattiesburg. This guide links to programs, state licensing steps, and related career paths so you can get job-ready quickly in Mississippi.


How to Get Started in Hattiesburg

  • Compare schools and program lengths above
  • Check your state licensing steps: Mississippi
  • Explore careers: Skilled trades hub
  • Ask each school about tuition, schedules, and embedded certifications (EPA 608, NCCER, ASE)

Compare Trade Schools Near Hattiesburg, Mississippi

How We Rank Schools

We first gather the schools closest to the city or state page you are viewing, then rank that local group by BOC Score, with the highest at the top. The BOC Score is computed from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data; schools without enough data to score appear last.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
25%
Average net price (lower is better)
20%
Retention rate
15%
Fully online availability
10%

Schools without enough federal outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Pearl River Community College

Poplarville, MS 34.7 miles away BOC Score 52.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 58
  • Annual completions: 1100
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $43,603 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

Perkinston, MS 37.8 miles away BOC Score 51.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 75
  • Annual completions: 1909
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $44,103 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

William Carey University

Hattiesburg, MS 1.4 miles away BOC Score 49.6
Tuition $15,480 - $29,651
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 60.3%
  • Graduation rate: 50.6%
  • Programs offered: 7
  • Annual completions: 63
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,242 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Jones County Junior College

Ellisville, MS 21.0 miles away BOC Score 45.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 47
  • Annual completions: 1233
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $36,340 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

University of Southern Mississippi

Hattiesburg, MS 1.9 miles away BOC Score 39.8
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 49.8% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 17
  • Annual completions: 456
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $48,593 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

The Academy of Hair Design Six

Hattiesburg, MS 2.1 miles away BOC Score 33.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 3
  • Annual completions: 42
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $24,043 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

BOC Score, tuition, graduation rate, and median graduate earnings from federal IPEDS and U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard data. Earnings are reported across all programs at the school (all majors), not a single trade. Distance is measured from the main population center in Mississippi.
#SchoolBOC Score (0–100)TuitionMedian grad earnings (all majors)Graduation rateOnlineDistance
152.2Contact school for pricing$43,603Not reportedYes*35 mi
251.3Contact school for pricing$44,103Not reportedYes*38 mi
345.6Contact school for pricing$36,340Not reportedYes*21 mi
439.9Contact school for pricing$12,585Not reported29 mi
533.1Contact school for pricing$24,043Not reported2 mi
627.2Contact school for pricingNot reported59%1 mi

Schools closest to the main population center in Mississippi are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the main population center in Mississippi is shown for reference. The BOC Score is an independent measure of school outcomes (graduation, earnings, net price, retention) expressed as a 0–100 percentile within each school's peer group; higher is better and advertising never affects it. *Online availability refers to coursework; hands-on trade training is completed in person. Read the full methodology.

Median Annual Wage by Trade - Hattiesburg, MS's most-employed trades
Median annual wage by trade in Hattiesburg, MS, BLS OEWS May 2025Culinary workers $54870; Electricians $48580; Dental assistants $38190; Veterinary technicians $35040; Veterinary assistants $28850.Culinary workers$54,870Electricians$48,580Dental assistants$38,190Veterinary technicians$35,040Veterinary assistants$28,850
Trades ranked by local employment (BLS QCEW); wages are median annual pay (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; metro area where reported, otherwise statewide).
Median annual wage by trade in Hattiesburg, MS
TradeMedian annual wage
Culinary workers$54,870
Electricians$48,580
Dental assistants$38,190
Veterinary technicians$35,040
Veterinary assistants$28,850
Median Graduate Earnings by School - Best Trade Schools in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Median graduate earnings by school, Best Trade Schools in Hattiesburg, Mississippi (College Scorecard)Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College $44103; Pearl River Community College $43603; Jones County Junior College $36340; The Academy of Hair Design Six $24043; Hatfield's Mississippi College of Beauty Culture $12585.Mississippi Gulf Coast Commu...$44,103Pearl River Community College$43,603Jones County Junior College$36,340The Academy of Hair Design Six$24,043Hatfield's Mississippi Colle...$12,585
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard - median earnings of all graduates at each school (not a single program).
Median graduate earnings by school for schools serving Best Trade Schools in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
SchoolMedian graduate earnings
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College$44,103
Pearl River Community College$43,603
Jones County Junior College$36,340
The Academy of Hair Design Six$24,043
Hatfield's Mississippi College of Beauty Culture$12,585

Cost, Earnings, and Program Length in Hattiesburg

Among the Hattiesburg, MS area’s most-employed trades (BLS QCEW 2024), median annual pay ranges from $28,850 to $54,870 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025); the chart above compares the five with the largest local workforces. Typical culinary worker training runs 1-2 years (culinary school or apprenticeship) (TradeCareerPath program data).

Trade Schools in Nearby Cities

Mississippi Trade Career Outlook

Building & Construction Trades

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Plumber4.5%
Welder2.2%
Flooring Installer9.5%
Carpenter4.5%
Construction Worker7.3%

Construction Management & Inspection

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Construction Manager8.7%
Home Inspector-0.8%

Electrical & Energy Systems

Mechanical, Automotive & Transportation

Healthcare: Administration & Office Support

Therapy, Rehab & Fitness

Animal Care & Training

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Veterinary Technician9.1%
Dog Trainer5.1%
Veterinary Assistant8.7%

Beauty & Personal Care

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Esthetician6.7%
Beauty Professional5.6%
Cosmetologist5.6%

Culinary & Hospitality Careers

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Culinary Chef7.1%
Pastry Chef7.1%

Business & Legal Support

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Digital Court Reporter-0.3%
Paralegal0.2%
Bookkeeper-5.8%

Job growth uses state projections when available and national projections (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034) when state data is unavailable. Median pay for each trade is shown in the comparison table above.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections (2024-2034). Projected U.S. change shown for each trade.


Next Steps


About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

DataProviderVintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2025
Employment ProjectionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemNational Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirementsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programsCareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2025-10-25)