Mississippi has some of the highest crime rates in the Southern United States, which makes it an appealing destination for anyone looking to get into the career fields of bail bonds or bounty hunting. While there is a high demand for these types of professionals in the state, there are some state laws and regulations that must first be considered before starting a business in Mississippi. All bounty hunters and bail bondsmen are required to become licensed through the state, which includes some training and education requirements.
One of the most stringent requirements is that a bounty hunter must have lived in the state for one year if they wish to work in Mississippi. Also, bounty hunters are not authorized to work as independent contractors; instead they must be employed with a bail bond surety company before hunting down bail jumpers.
Bounty Hunter Salary in Mississippi
In the entire state, bounty hunters can expect to make an average yearly salary of $103,000, which is 9-percent higher than the national average, according to salary aggregation website Indeed.com. Bounty hunters are paid a fee for each bail jumper that they bring back to a bail bondsman, rather than being paid by the hour, so earning potential is very high and salaries can vary dramatically as a result.
The following are the average salaries for bounty hunters in the largest cities in Mississippi:
- Jackson: $120,000
- West Gulfport: $86,000
- Gulfport: $87,000
- Biloxi: $87,000
- Hattiesburg: $87,000
Bail Bondsman Salary in Mississippi
Bail bondsman are paid an hourly salary as well as a percentage of the fee per each bail bond issued if they are salaried employees with a bail bonds company. The fee is typically a 10-percent on the total amount of the bond (which is usually between $500 and $100,000.) Depending on the size of the surety business, a bail bondsman can receive the whole 10-percent (if it is a one-man operation) or less, if it is a larger bail bond business. The average bail bondsman in Mississippi makes $39,000 a year.
The following is the average salaries for bail bondsmen in the largest cities in Mississippi:
- Jackson: $45,000
- West Gulfport: $32,000
- Gulfport: $32,000
- Biloxi: $33,000
- Hattiesburg: $33,000