Occupational Licensing in Mississippi
Mississippi requires a licence for 122 of the 246 occupations the Archbridge Institute tracks, against a national median of 124. It ranks 15 of 51 on their index, where 1 is the most burdensome.
- Licensed occupations
- 122
- With any entry barrier
- 165
- National rank
- #15
- In the East South Central
- #4
Moving to Mississippi with a licence
Mississippi recognises out-of-state licences with some conditions — graded silver. Universal recognition is the reform that lets someone already licensed elsewhere practise after moving, instead of repeating the training; 28 of the 51 jurisdictions have some version of it.
Licensed here, rarely elsewhere
These are the occupations Mississippi licenses that few other jurisdictions do — the clearest sign of where its rules go further than the national norm.
- Home Improvement Contractorlicensed in 7 of 51
- Plumberlicensed in 7 of 51
- Polygraph Examiner Intern/Traineelicensed in 9 of 51
Every licensed occupation in Mississippi
All 122, alphabetically. Archbridge tracks 246 occupations in total, so anything absent here is either unlicensed in Mississippi or outside their list.
- Acupuncturist
- Addictions/Chemical Dependency Counselor
- Architect
- Art Therapist
- Asbestos Abatement Worker
- Asbestos Contractor/Supervisor
- Asbestos Inspector
- Asbestos Management Planner
- Asbestos Project Designer
- Athlete Agent/Manager
- Athletic Trainer/Sports Trainer
- Attorney
- Auctioneer
- Audiologist
- Backflow Prevention Tester
- Barber
- Behavior Analyst Assistant
- Behavior Analyst/Specialist
- Broker (Standard Real Estate)
- Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS)
- Certified Nurse Aide/Assistant
- Certified Nurse Midwife
- Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist
- Certified Public Accountant
- Certified Sewage/Septic Inspector/Evaluator
- Chiropractor
- Chiropractor Assistant
- Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Cosmetologist
- Cosmetology Teacher
- Court Interpreter
- Dental Hygienist
- Dental Radiographer
- Dentist
- Dialysis Technician
- Dietitian–Nutritionist (LDN)
- Electrical Contractor
- Embalmer
- Emergency Dispatcher / Public Safety Telecommunicator
- EMT
- Esthetician
- Esthetician Instructor
- Family-Marriage Therapist/Counselor
- Forester
- Fuel Piping Contractor
- Funeral Director/Mortician
- Funeral Trainee
- Genetic Counselor
- Geologist in Training
- Geologist/Geoscientist
- Hearing Aid Dealer/Hearing Aid Dispensers/Hearing Instrument Specialist
- Hearing Aid Dispenser Trainee/Apprentice
- Home Improvement Contractor
- Home Inspector
- HVAC Installer
- Insurance Producer
- Investment Advisor
- Landscape Architect
- Landscaping Contractor
- Lead Abatement Supervisor/Contractor
- Lead Inspector
- Lead Inspector Risk Assessor
- Lead Planner Project Designer
- Level Class II Wastewater Operator
- Level Class III Wastewater Operator
- Level Class IV Wastewater Operator
- Licensed Practical Nurse
- Limited X-ray Machine Operator
- Manicurist
- Massage Therapist
- MD Physician/Surgeon
- Medical Health Physicist
- Mortgage Loan Originator
- Music Therapist
- Nail Technician
- Nuclear Medicine Technicican
- Nurse Anesthetist
- Nurse Practitioner
- Nursing Home Administrator
- Occupational Therapist
- Occupational Therapist Assistant
- Optometrist
- Parole /Probation Officer
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy Technician
- Physical Therapist
- Physical Therapist Assistant
- Physician Assistant
- Plumber
- Podiatrist
- Polygraph Examiner
- Polygraph Examiner Intern/Trainee
- Preschool Teacher, except Special Education
- Professional Counselor/Professional Clinical Counselor
- Professional Engineer
- Professional Fundraising Counsel
- Professional Land Surveyor
- Professional Solicitor (Charities)
- Provisional Psychologist
- Psychologist
- Public School Administrator
- Public School Teacher
- Radiologic Technologist
- Radiologist Assistant
- Real Estate Appraiser
- Real Estate Instructor
- Real Estate Salesperson
- Registered Nurse
- Respiratory Therapist/Respiratory Care Practitioner
- Septic System Servicer/Pumper/Cleaner
- Septic Tank Installer
- Shampoo Assistant
- Social Worker
- Soil Tester/Soil Classifier
- Speech Language Pathologist
- Speech Language Pathologist Assistant
- Tattoo Artist
- Taxidermist
- Veterinarian
- Veterinarian Technician
- Wastewater Operator
- Well Driller
Where this comes from
The Archbridge Institute's State Occupational Licensing Index 2026, retrieved 2026-09-16. The index records whether an occupation needs a licence — it does not record fees or training hours, so nothing here says what a licence costs or how long it takes. The rank is Archbridge's own and is not part of the FreedomRankings score. Check the relevant Mississippi board before acting on any of it.
More on Mississippi: its freedom score and rank · school choice · homeschool laws
