Columbia, MO
Across all occupations in the Columbia, MO metropolitan area, the median wage is $47,260 a year ($22.72 an hour) and the mean $61,380, May 2025. That median is −7% against the US median of $50,980 and −1% against Missouri's $47,800. BLS counts 107,680 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is physicians, all other; the largest is registered nurses.
All occupations: Columbia, MO vs Missouri and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Columbia, MO | Hourly | $14.07 | $17.17 | $22.72 | $34.42 | $49.12 | $29.51 | 107,680 |
| Annual | $29,260 | $35,710 | $47,260 | $71,580 | $102,160 | $61,380 | ||
| Missouri | Hourly | $14.32 | $17.39 | $22.98 | $35.70 | $50.15 | $29.89 | 2,936,050 |
| Annual | $29,780 | $36,160 | $47,800 | $74,260 | $104,320 | $62,160 | ||
| United States | Hourly | $15.00 | $18.07 | $24.51 | $38.71 | $61.81 | $33.54 | 155,495,730 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $37,590 | $50,980 | $80,520 | $128,560 | $69,770 | ||
336 detailed occupations publish a median in this area. State profile: Missouri. Compare any occupation across every area in the wage explorer.
20 highest-paying occupations in Columbia, MO
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physicians, All Other | $312,080 | $150.04 | 190 |
| 2 | Nurse Anesthetists | $310,170 | $149.12 | 90 |
| 3 | Dentists, General | $207,450 | $99.74 | 60 |
| 4 | Chief Executives | $159,890 | $76.87 | 90 |
| 5 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $140,040 | $67.33 | 50 |
| 6 | Pharmacists | $139,430 | $67.03 | 280 |
| 7 | Physician Assistants | $132,220 | $63.57 | 140 |
| 8 | Human Resources Managers | $130,190 | $62.59 | 150 |
| 9 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Missouri | $129,700 | $62.36 | 340 |
| 10 | Nurse Practitioners | $128,930 | $61.99 | 330 |
| 11 | Natural Sciences Managers | $126,440 | $60.79 | 50 |
| 12 | Financial Managers in Missouri | $124,120 | $59.67 | 660 |
| 13 | Managers, All Other in Missouri | $123,150 | $59.21 | 330 |
| 14 | Business Teachers, Postsecondary | $120,590 | * | 130 |
| 15 | Marketing Managers | $119,520 | $57.46 | 210 |
| 16 | Education Administrators, Postsecondary | $117,570 | $56.53 | 390 |
| 17 | Medical and Health Services Managers | $111,760 | $53.73 | 530 |
| 18 | Computer Network Architects | $111,310 | $53.52 | 80 |
| 19 | Lawyers in Missouri | $107,890 | $51.87 | 400 |
| 20 | Industrial Production Managers | $107,880 | $51.87 | 80 |
Ranked by median; an occupation whose median BLS withholds or top-codes in this area cannot appear here, however well it pays.
20 largest occupations in Columbia, MO
Most concentrated occupations in Columbia, MO
The 10 occupations with the highest location quotient among those employing at least 100 people in the area. A quotient of 2.00 means the occupation's share of local jobs is twice its national share.
| Rank | Occupation | Location quotient | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Family Medicine Physicians | 9.93 | 740 | 6.87 | $69,590 |
| 2 | Social Science Research Assistants | 7.76 | 160 | 1.53 | $65,050 |
| 3 | Communications Teachers, Postsecondary | 5.90 | 120 | 1.12 | $78,270 |
| 4 | Cooks, Fast Food in Missouri | 5.57 | 2,470 | 22.97 | $29,110 |
| 5 | Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary | 4.79 | 540 | 5.05 | $47,220 |
| 6 | Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 4.69 | 160 | 1.52 | $79,290 |
| 7 | Insurance Underwriters | 3.72 | 270 | 2.52 | $63,540 |
| 8 | Library Technicians | 3.59 | 170 | 1.59 | $36,240 |
| 9 | Education Teachers, Postsecondary | 3.26 | 140 | 1.27 | $78,160 |
| 10 | Education Administrators, Postsecondary | 3.14 | 390 | 3.65 | $117,570 |
Occupation groups in Columbia, MO
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $97,490 | $110,560 | 7,870 | 73.05 | 1.02 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $80,450 | $88,430 | 940 | 8.77 | 0.52 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $80,330 | $87,720 | 2,650 | 24.63 | 0.73 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $77,400 | $91,670 | 10,390 | 96.49 | 1.53 |
| Legal | $76,850 | $100,840 | 700 | 6.53 | 0.78 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $68,190 | $75,740 | 7,380 | 68.58 | 1.01 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $65,660 | $74,580 | 1,180 | 10.95 | 1.16 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $59,150 | $83,400 | 8,530 | 79.24 | 1.35 |
| Construction and Extraction | $57,970 | $61,800 | 3,330 | 30.95 | 0.75 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $51,360 | $55,410 | 3,900 | 36.18 | 0.92 |
| Community and Social Service | $47,950 | $54,210 | 2,490 | 23.08 | 1.34 |
| Production | $47,920 | $49,600 | 4,490 | 41.68 | 0.76 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $47,700 | $58,260 | 1,720 | 15.99 | 1.21 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $44,730 | $47,460 | 12,380 | 114.94 | 1.01 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $43,560 | $46,900 | 150 | 1.35 | 0.48 |
| Protective Service | $42,620 | $48,000 | 1,900 | 17.64 | 0.73 |
| Healthcare Support | $38,550 | $39,790 | 6,460 | 59.95 | 1.18 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $38,550 | $42,840 | 6,820 | 63.34 | 0.72 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $36,100 | $37,450 | 3,040 | 28.25 | 0.97 |
| Sales and Related | $34,050 | $43,600 | 8,180 | 75.98 | 0.88 |
| Personal Care and Service | $32,150 | $36,850 | 2,000 | 18.54 | 0.89 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $29,680 | $34,260 | 11,190 | 103.91 | 1.18 |
Every occupation in Missouri, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 336 published occupations for this area are in the wage explorer; other metros are on the metros hub.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Columbia, MO estimates (area 17860).
*- Wage estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Jobs per 1,000 is the occupation's employment per 1,000 jobs in the Columbia, MO area; the location quotient is that share divided by the national share.
- The concentration table keeps only occupations with employment of 100 or more in the area, so a quotient built on a handful of rounded jobs cannot top it.