Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker is City's Highest-Paid Employee Amidst Six-Figure Salaries for Top Officials
Mayor Toby Barker is the highest-paid employee in the City of Hattiesburg, earning an annual salary of $140,000. This figure places him among six city employees who earn at least $100,000 annually. The average annual salary for the City of Hattiesburg's 590 employees is just over $47,000, with the city spending over $28 million on employee salaries in total. Mayor Barker, first elected in 2017 and re-elected for his third term in 2025, saw his salary increase from $110,000 to $140,000 in 2024, an ordinance that also raised the salaries of the five city council members from $27,000 to $35,000. Other top earners include Chief Administrative Officer Ann Jones ($120,000), Chief Financial Officer Malcolm Berch ($115,000), City Engineer and Director for Transportation and Engineering MaryBeth Bergin ($115,000), Director of Water and Sewer Alan Howe ($108,000), and Chief of Police Hardy Sims ($108,000). With the exception of Mayor Barker, all other six-figure earners were appointed to their positions. 
