The International Trade Administration reported that a record-breaking $11.4 billion in exports from Mississippi supported 51,892 jobs in 2014. Many of these positions require expertise in international business practices or international relations and pay handsomely for this type of knowledge.
In support of Mississippi’s growing visibility in the global marketplace, Governor Phil Bryant has been quoted as saying, “We aggressively are seeking to grow our international presence through trade.” The state seeks to accomplish these goals trough such organizations as the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA), which was a major contributor to the Governor’s 2015 Export Summit.
The Institute for Trade and Transportation Studies reported that as of 2012, 69% of Mississippi’s exports were shipped through one of the state’s major ports located in Pascagoula, Mobile and Gulfport.
Salaries for Mississippi’s International Business Professionals
While numerous options abound to work for Mississippi’s businesses that require such positions as international accountants and economists, additional avenues for employment include working for. As part of its efforts to increase the number of exports from Mississippi, the Mississippi Development Authority has established a dedicated international trade team, which published the salary range for the professionals it has retained for certain key positions (2015):
- Project Manager IV: $60,056 – $105,097
- Associate Manager Senior Export/Import: $45,901 – $80,326
The US Bureau of Statistics provides a detailed analysis of the salaries of a number of types of occupational categories that frequently involve expertise in international business (2014):
Recent high-profile exports from Mississippi are helping to generate high-paying jobs in the state. Toyota made national news when the company reported that it would be exporting Corolla models from its Blue Springs manufacturing facility in Tupelo to 21 countries in the Caribbean and Latin America.
However, energy products continue to dominate the state’s export industry. The International Trade Association reported that petroleum and coal products were by far the top export industry in Mississippi in 2014, with the state exporting $3.95 billion worth of these products that year.
The Mississippi Gulf Coast Alliance for Economic Development called South Mississippi a “powerhouse” thanks to its energy industry. Companies on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast take advantage of the oil and gas fields in the Gulf of Mexico and have been expanding their operations. Chevron’s largest oil refinery in the country operates in Pascagoula and invested $5 million in upgrades in recent years. Additional investments in this area included $1.1 billion for an LNG terminal.
Salaries for International Relations Professionals in Mississippi
Non-profits, government agencies and businesses alike that work with stakeholders overseas require the expertise of international relations specialists, program directors, international development advisors and many other professional positions related to international relations.
Mississippi-based non-profits that work in the international arena range from humanitarian and environmental aid organizations to foreign outreach organizations dedicated to improving the state’s prominence in export markets.
Bluewater Nonprofit Solutions provides an analysis of the salaries of leadership professionals in these organizations as of 2012. Their findings revealed the average base salary for Chief Marketing Officer positions with international non-profits based in the Mississippi area was $117,330.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides a salary analysis for occupational categories associated with international relations work in government, non-profit, and private industry (2014):