Average Salary in Missouri
What workers in Missouri earn: mean and median wages, monthly and hourly pay, the full wage distribution, household income and cost-of-living context. Wage data: BLS OEWS May 2025.
- Mean annual wage$62,160Rank #34 of 51 · US $69,770
- Median annual wage$47,800Rank #39 of 51 · US $50,980
- Mean hourly wage$29.89Median $22.98/hour
- Median monthly pay$3,983Mean $5,180/month
- Median household income$71,589ACS 2024 · rank #43
- Price level (RPP)90.8US = 100 · BEA 2024
What is the average salary in Missouri?
The average (mean) annual wage across all occupations in Missouri is $62,160, and the median annual wage is $47,800, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 OEWS estimates. The mean is 10.9% below the national mean of $69,770; the median is 6.2% below the national median of $50,980. Missouri ranks #34 of the 50 states and DC for mean wage and #39 for median wage.
The mean is $14,360 (30%) higher than the median. That gap is normal: a minority of very high earners pulls the average up, so the median is the better guide to what a typical worker in Missouri earns. Why mean and median differ →
The estimates cover 2,936,050 wage and salary jobs in Missouri (self-employed workers are not included).
Monthly, weekly and hourly pay in Missouri
Gross pay before taxes. Monthly = annual ÷ 12, bi-weekly = annual ÷ 26, weekly = annual ÷ 52. Hourly figures are published by BLS.
| Pay period | Mean (average) | Median (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual | $62,160 | $47,800 |
| Monthly | $5,180 | $3,983 |
| Bi-weekly paycheck | $2,391 | $1,838 |
| Weekly | $1,195 | $919 |
| Hourly | $29.89 | $22.98 |
Estimate take-home pay on the Missouri median wage (2026 tax year) →
What is a good salary in Missouri?
“Good” depends on your household and where in the state you live, but the wage distribution shows where a salary stands relative to other workers in Missouri:
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $29,780 | $2,482 | 90% of workers earn more |
| 25th | $36,160 | $3,013 | 75% earn more |
| 50th (median) | $47,800 | $3,983 | half earn more, half less |
| 75th | $74,260 | $6,188 | top 25% earn more than this |
| 90th | $104,320 | $8,693 | top 10% earn more than this |
In practice, a salary above $47,800 beats more than half of Missouri workers, about $74,260 puts you in the top quarter, and $104,320 or more puts you in the top 10%. These are individual wages, not household income. Compare percentiles across states →
Household income and earnings in Missouri
| Measure (ACS 2024) | Missouri | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $71,589 | $81,604 |
| Median family income | $92,101 | $101,265 |
| Per-capita income | $40,284 | $45,256 |
| Median earnings, all workers with earnings | $43,094 | $46,949 |
| Median earnings, men working full-time year-round | $61,542 | $66,965 |
| Median earnings, women working full-time year-round | $50,615 | $55,678 |
Household income adds up the income of everyone in a household — often two earners, plus Social Security, investment and self-employment income — so it is higher than any per-worker wage figure. Women working full-time year-round in Missouri have median earnings equal to 82% of men’s. Household income in every state →
Salary vs. cost of living in Missouri
Prices in Missouri are about 9.2% below the national average (BEA regional price parity 90.8; housing 69.9). Adjusted for that, the median wage of $47,800 is worth $52,643 at national-average prices (rank #25), and the mean wage is worth $68,458 (rank #22). Cost-of-living adjusted ranking →
Missouri taxes wage income, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures above by federal tax, FICA and state income tax.
Missouri vs. neighboring states
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | RPP | Adjusted median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | $62,160 | $47,800 | 90.8 | $52,643 |
| Arkansas | $54,890 | $43,630 | 86.9 | $50,207 |
| Illinois | $71,130 | $51,960 | 100.0 | $51,960 |
| Iowa | $59,830 | $48,540 | 87.8 | $55,285 |
| Kansas | $60,640 | $48,010 | 90.1 | $53,285 |
| Kentucky | $58,990 | $46,920 | 90.2 | $52,018 |
| Nebraska | $62,400 | $48,980 | 90.1 | $54,362 |
| Oklahoma | $56,950 | $45,600 | 87.8 | $51,936 |
| Tennessee | $60,800 | $47,380 | 91.9 | $51,556 |
Highest-paying occupations in Missouri
Detailed occupations with at least 300 jobs in the state, ranked by mean annual wage. “$239,200+” means BLS reports only that the wage is at or above that level.
| Occupation | Mean wage | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athletes and Sports Competitors | $472,090 | $172,700 | 670 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $271,780 | $242,630 | 1,550 |
| Dentists, General | $241,580 | $204,960 | 2,440 |
| Physicians, All Other | $237,330 | $227,980 | 3,990 |
| Pediatricians, General | $225,730 | $223,910 | 500 |
| Chief Executives | $222,200 | $172,320 | 2,550 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $214,250 | $171,180 | 3,740 |
| Financial Managers | $163,820 | $143,460 | 13,330 |
| Lawyers | $162,820 | $133,450 | 11,560 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $161,140 | $157,800 | 2,250 |
Most common jobs in Missouri and what they pay
| Occupation | Employment | Median wage | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 109,020 | $79,300 | $38.12 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 94,810 | $33,080 | $15.90 |
| Registered Nurses | 76,310 | $81,780 | $39.32 |
| Cashiers | 69,430 | $30,520 | $14.67 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 67,390 | $36,710 | $17.65 |
| Retail Salespersons | 67,140 | $33,460 | $16.09 |
| Office Clerks, General | 56,050 | $42,370 | $20.37 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 55,780 | $29,890 | $14.37 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 50,530 | $44,190 | $21.24 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 47,760 | $54,550 | $26.23 |
The largest occupation in Missouri is general and operations managers, with 109,020 jobs and a median wage of $79,300. Many of the most common jobs pay well below the state median, which is one reason the overall median sits far below the mean.
Salaries for 54 common occupations in Missouri
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Missouri?
The average (mean) annual wage in Missouri is $62,160, or $29.89 per hour, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The median wage — what a typical worker earns — is $47,800 a year ($22.98 per hour).
What is the average monthly salary in Missouri?
Dividing the annual figures by 12, the mean wage in Missouri works out to about $5,180 per month and the median wage to about $3,983 per month, before taxes.
What is considered a good salary in Missouri?
Earning more than the median of $47,800 puts you above half of all workers in Missouri. A salary of $74,260 or more is in the top 25%, and $104,320 or more is in the top 10% of wage earners in the state.
What is the median household income in Missouri?
Median household income in Missouri was $71,589 in the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, compared with $81,604 nationally. Household income combines all earners and income sources in a home.
Does Missouri have a state income tax on wages?
Yes. Missouri taxes wage income, so state income tax is deducted from paychecks in addition to federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.