Missouri
Across all occupations in Missouri, the median wage is $47,800 a year ($22.98 an hour) and the mean $62,160, May 2025. That median is −6% against the US median of $50,980. BLS counts 2,936,050 jobs in the state. The highest-paying occupation is orthopedic surgeons, except pediatric; the largest is general and operations managers.
All occupations: Missouri vs the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| 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 | ||
Minimum wage in Missouri
The wage floor is a separate question from these survey figures. See the Missouri minimum wage page for the current rate, scheduled increases and tipped rules, verified against the U.S. Department of Labor.
20 highest-paying occupations in Missouri
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $842,800 | $405.19 | ** |
| 2 | Cardiologists | $648,070 | $311.57 | 150 |
| 3 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | $456,280 | $219.36 | ** |
| 4 | Orthodontists | $332,630 | $159.92 | ** |
| 5 | Psychiatrists | $312,680 | $150.33 | 240 |
| 6 | Physicians, Pathologists | $261,830 | $125.88 | ** |
| 7 | Nurse Anesthetists | $242,630 | $116.65 | 1,550 |
| 8 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $230,130 | $110.64 | 30 |
| 9 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $228,410 | $109.81 | ** |
| 10 | Physicians, All Other | $227,980 | $109.61 | 3,990 |
| 11 | Pediatricians, General | $223,910 | $107.65 | 500 |
| 12 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $216,570 | $104.12 | 160 |
| 13 | Dentists, General | $204,960 | $98.54 | 2,440 |
| 14 | Athletes and Sports Competitors | $172,700 | * | 670 |
| 15 | Chief Executives | $172,320 | $82.85 | 2,550 |
| 16 | Family Medicine Physicians | $171,180 | $82.30 | 3,740 |
| 17 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $159,460 | $76.66 | 11,130 |
| 18 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $157,800 | $75.87 | 2,250 |
| 19 | Financial Managers | $143,460 | $68.97 | 13,330 |
| 20 | Physicists | $140,460 | $67.53 | 90 |
Ranked by median; an occupation whose median BLS withholds or top-codes cannot appear here, however well it pays.
20 largest occupations in Missouri
Occupation groups in Missouri
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $99,620 | $116,510 | 223,420 | 76.09 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $93,690 | $98,780 | 88,550 | 30.16 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $86,450 | $94,950 | 38,010 | 12.95 |
| Legal | $81,870 | $117,670 | 21,470 | 7.31 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $79,250 | $92,930 | 208,140 | 70.89 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $76,670 | $84,390 | 186,200 | 63.42 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $75,870 | $83,030 | 22,860 | 7.79 |
| Construction and Extraction | $61,730 | $67,580 | 115,800 | 39.44 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $57,810 | $60,490 | 118,690 | 40.43 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $50,790 | $68,180 | 34,140 | 11.63 |
| Community and Social Service | $49,540 | $55,060 | 49,900 | 17.00 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $49,270 | $59,290 | 168,480 | 57.38 |
| Production | $47,810 | $51,970 | 194,100 | 66.11 |
| Protective Service | $46,840 | $54,580 | 62,760 | 21.38 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $45,070 | $48,350 | 340,130 | 115.85 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $43,170 | $46,590 | 250,310 | 85.26 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $38,040 | $41,950 | 6,630 | 2.26 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $36,580 | $38,700 | 82,870 | 28.23 |
| Healthcare Support | $36,100 | $37,690 | 167,240 | 56.96 |
| Sales and Related | $35,910 | $49,090 | 241,320 | 82.19 |
| Personal Care and Service | $32,620 | $37,560 | 59,880 | 20.40 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $31,080 | $35,590 | 255,150 | 86.90 |
Metropolitan areas in Missouri
8 metropolitan areas touch Missouri, plus 4 nonmetropolitan areas, with the all-occupations median of each. A linked metropolitan area has its own profile; nonmetropolitan areas appear here only.
| Area | Type | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | Metropolitan | $44,470 | $21.38 | 44,680 |
| Columbia, MO | Metropolitan | $47,260 | $22.72 | 107,680 |
| Jefferson City, MO | Metropolitan | $48,030 | $23.09 | 80,220 |
| Joplin, MO-KS | Metropolitan | $44,980 | $21.63 | 87,190 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | Metropolitan | $50,820 | $24.44 | 1,096,110 |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | Metropolitan | $47,350 | $22.76 | 54,390 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | Metropolitan | $49,990 | $24.03 | 1,341,320 |
| Springfield, MO | Metropolitan | $45,780 | $22.01 | 223,030 |
| Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area | Nonmetropolitan | $41,380 | $19.89 | 154,880 |
| North Missouri nonmetropolitan area | Nonmetropolitan | $42,760 | $20.56 | 106,300 |
| Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area | Nonmetropolitan | $39,990 | $19.23 | 164,560 |
| Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area | Nonmetropolitan | $39,050 | $18.78 | 79,560 |
Occupation pages for Missouri
63 occupations have a dedicated Missouri page with the state's percentiles, its metro table and a comparison with neighbouring states.
- Accountants and Auditors $76,590
- Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics $49,160
- Bartenders $30,090
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks $47,990
- Business Operations Specialists, All Other $80,420
- Carpenters $60,840
- Cashiers $30,520
- Computer and Information Systems Managers $159,460
- Computer User Support Specialists $59,770
- Construction Laborers $56,730
- Cooks, Fast Food $29,890
- Cooks, Restaurant $36,940
- Customer Service Representatives $44,190
- Electricians $65,410
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $50,910
- Fast Food and Counter Workers $30,390
- Financial Managers $143,460
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $87,520
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers $37,400
- First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $77,470
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $63,050
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $73,210
- First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers $46,860
- First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $60,370
- Food Preparation Workers $31,510
- General and Operations Managers $79,300
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $54,550
- Home Health and Personal Care Aides $33,080
- Human Resources Specialists $66,990
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators $45,190
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $35,900
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand $39,080
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers $38,520
- Lawyers $133,450
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $61,530
- Light Truck Drivers $45,500
- Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $33,670
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General $48,370
- Management Analysts $97,270
- Managers, All Other $125,760
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $70,140
- Medical Assistants $40,440
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants $43,980
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $59,310
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators $46,480
- Nursing Assistants $37,680
- Office Clerks, General $42,370
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $59,460
- Project Management Specialists $94,660
- Receptionists and Information Clerks $35,740
- Registered Nurses $81,780
- Retail Salespersons $33,460
- Sales Managers $115,370
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel $60,440
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $61,940
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $59,240
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive $43,540
- Security Guards $40,390
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks $43,480
- Software Developers $126,120
- Stockers and Order Fillers $36,710
- Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary $36,300
- Waiters and Waitresses $29,400
Take-home pay and benefits calculators for Missouri
FastCalc, a sister site, has these calculators for Missouri. Each takes your own figures; this site computes nothing.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Missouri estimates.
#- Equal to or greater than the top code (BLS publishes no wage above it).
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment 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 Missouri.