Joplin, MO-KS
Across all occupations in the Joplin, MO-KS metropolitan area, the median wage is $44,980 a year ($21.63 an hour) and the mean $53,370, May 2025. That median is −12% against the US median of $50,980 and −6% against Missouri's $47,800. BLS counts 87,190 jobs in the area, which spans Missouri and Kansas. The highest-paying occupation is physicians, all other; the largest is heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers.
All occupations: Joplin, MO-KS vs Missouri and Kansas and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Joplin, MO-KS | Hourly | $13.77 | $16.41 | $21.63 | $29.22 | $40.68 | $25.66 | 87,190 |
| Annual | $28,650 | $34,140 | $44,980 | $60,770 | $84,610 | $53,370 | ||
| 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 | ||
| Kansas | Hourly | $13.72 | $17.25 | $23.08 | $34.75 | $49.64 | $29.15 | 1,437,520 |
| Annual | $28,530 | $35,880 | $48,010 | $72,280 | $103,250 | $60,640 | ||
| 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 | ||
283 detailed occupations publish a median in this area. State profiles: Missouri, Kansas. Compare any occupation across every area in the wage explorer.
20 highest-paying occupations in Joplin, MO-KS
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physicians, All Other | $324,090 | $155.81 | 120 |
| 2 | Dentists, General | $201,820 | $97.03 | 50 |
| 3 | Family Medicine Physicians | $200,530 | $96.41 | 70 |
| 4 | Nurse Anesthetists | $170,770 | $82.10 | 30 |
| 5 | Physician Assistants | $150,300 | $72.26 | 70 |
| 6 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $135,140 | $64.97 | 60 |
| 7 | Chief Executives | $134,670 | $64.75 | 60 |
| 8 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Missouri | $129,810 | $62.41 | 120 |
| 9 | Pharmacists | $127,710 | $61.40 | 180 |
| 10 | Financial Managers in Missouri | $127,550 | $61.32 | 230 |
| 11 | Nurse Practitioners | $126,640 | $60.89 | 230 |
| 12 | Marketing Managers | $121,580 | $58.45 | 80 |
| 13 | Construction Managers | $108,900 | $52.36 | 170 |
| 14 | Software Developers in Missouri | $105,960 | $50.94 | 120 |
| 15 | Industrial Production Managers | $103,620 | $49.82 | 180 |
| 16 | Business Teachers, Postsecondary | $103,240 | * | 40 |
| 17 | Veterinarians | $102,700 | $49.38 | 50 |
| 18 | Electrical Engineers | $102,630 | $49.34 | 50 |
| 19 | Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $102,460 | $49.26 | 120 |
| 20 | Managers, All Other in Missouri | $101,980 | $49.03 | 210 |
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 Joplin, MO-KS
Most concentrated occupations in Joplin, MO-KS
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 | Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | 6.03 | 1,280 | 14.71 | $47,040 |
| 2 | Cooks, Fast Food in Missouri | 5.65 | 2,030 | 23.31 | $28,600 |
| 3 | Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 4.70 | 160 | 1.82 | $58,170 |
| 4 | Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 3.91 | 100 | 1.13 | $50,980 |
| 5 | Helpers--Production Workers | 3.74 | 350 | 3.99 | $47,850 |
| 6 | Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 3.65 | 190 | 2.23 | $62,460 |
| 7 | Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers | 3.33 | 160 | 1.85 | $51,450 |
| 8 | Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 3.06 | 270 | 3.12 | $42,430 |
| 9 | Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers | 3.05 | 420 | 4.85 | $38,150 |
| 10 | Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Missouri | 3.00 | 3,470 | 39.79 | $47,430 |
Occupation groups in Joplin, MO-KS
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $78,700 | $92,520 | 5,810 | 66.68 | 0.93 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $76,840 | $83,070 | 1,080 | 12.35 | 0.73 |
| Legal | $73,170 | $90,170 | 330 | 3.73 | 0.44 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $72,340 | $80,030 | 950 | 10.86 | 0.32 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $71,870 | $83,490 | 6,530 | 74.85 | 1.18 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $70,400 | $75,300 | 430 | 4.91 | 0.52 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $64,100 | $71,750 | 3,230 | 37.05 | 0.55 |
| Construction and Extraction | $56,630 | $61,440 | 3,160 | 36.23 | 0.88 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $56,370 | $58,590 | 4,220 | 48.39 | 1.24 |
| Community and Social Service | $48,030 | $51,890 | 1,510 | 17.28 | 1.01 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $47,380 | $50,560 | 5,220 | 59.91 | 1.02 |
| Production | $45,910 | $47,620 | 10,190 | 116.89 | 2.12 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $45,380 | $53,240 | 650 | 7.42 | 0.56 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $44,290 | $45,700 | 10,990 | 126.02 | 1.43 |
| Protective Service | $43,990 | $46,780 | 1,170 | 13.41 | 0.55 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $40,930 | $44,940 | 8,940 | 102.49 | 0.90 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $40,090 | $44,940 | 100 | 1.17 | 0.42 |
| Healthcare Support | $35,730 | $37,660 | 4,240 | 48.66 | 0.96 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $34,500 | $36,670 | 2,050 | 23.56 | 0.81 |
| Sales and Related | $32,180 | $42,290 | 7,490 | 85.87 | 0.99 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $28,860 | $32,830 | 7,710 | 88.44 | 1.01 |
| Personal Care and Service | $28,800 | $33,810 | 1,210 | 13.84 | 0.66 |
Every occupation in Missouri and Kansas, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profiles. All 283 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 Joplin, MO-KS estimates (area 27900).
*- 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 Joplin, MO-KS 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.
- The area spans Missouri and Kansas; its figures are the whole MSA, as BLS publishes them, under the primary state Missouri.