Mississippi's Pascagoula shipyard — operated by Huntington Ingalls Industries — is one of the largest and most productive naval shipbuilding facilities in the world, building destroyers, amphibious ships, and Coast Guard cutters for the entire U.S. fleet.
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Huntington Ingalls Industries Ingalls Shipbuilding is the dominant employer in Mississippi's maritime sector, supported by a network of tier-one marine suppliers, subcontractors, and Coast Guard support operations along the Gulf Coast.
HII's Ingalls Shipbuilding division in Pascagoula is one of the most prolific naval shipbuilders in the United States, producing Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, America-class amphibious assault ships, and Legend-class Coast Guard cutters. It is the largest employer in Mississippi.
🌐 ~11,000 MS employees
VT Halter Marine builds offshore construction vessels, government research ships, and specialty marine craft at its Pascagoula facility. It is an important secondary employer in the region and a contractor to multiple federal agencies.
🌐 ~1,500 MS employees
The Coast Guard maintains operational presence across the Mississippi Gulf Coast, supporting port security, environmental response, and search and rescue missions that create civilian technical support and maintenance employment in the region.
🌐 ~800 MS/AL region personnel
HII Ingalls has built more Arleigh Burke-class destroyers than any other facility in the world. Working in Pascagoula means contributing to a shipbuilding legacy that directly shapes the readiness of the U.S. Navy's surface fleet.
Navy destroyer and amphibious ship programs run for decades not years. Mississippi shipbuilders enter careers backed by federal contracts that provide multi-decade employment security that few other manufacturing sectors can match.
Mississippi shipbuilders earn wages that are among the highest of any manufacturing sector in the state, in a cost-of-living environment that makes those wages go significantly further than comparable salaries in coastal metros.
HII operates structured apprenticeship and workforce development programs at Ingalls that provide clear advancement pathways from entry-level production roles into supervisory, technical, and engineering support positions.
Fabricate and weld steel hull sections, structural components, and outfitting assemblies for U.S. Navy destroyers and amphibious ships at HII Ingalls in Pascagoula. The single most in-demand trade in Mississippi's shipbuilding sector.
Align, fit, and assemble large structural steel modules for naval vessels during new construction at Pascagoula. A skilled and well-compensated trade that is foundational to the shipbuilding production process.
Install piping, electrical runs, HVAC systems, and interior outfitting in hull sections and deckhouses during vessel construction. A broad and technically demanding role that bridges multiple skilled trade categories.
Whether you are welding destroyers at HII Ingalls in Pascagoula, building specialty vessels at VT Halter Marine, or supporting the broad network of maritime suppliers and subcontractors across the Mississippi Gulf Coast, careers here are built on federal contracts that last for generations.
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