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Average Salary in Missouri
This page shows what jobs actually pay in Missouri, occupation by occupation, from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for May 2024. BLS publishes wage estimates for 711 occupations in Missouri. For context, the U.S. all-occupation mean annual wage in May 2024 was $67,920, the median wage was $23.80 an hour, and total U.S. employment covered by the survey was 154,187,380 jobs. Use the tables below to see Missouri's highest-paying occupations, its largest occupations, and which Missouri jobs pay more — or less — than the same job nationally.
Highest-paying occupations in Missouri
The highest-paying occupation BLS publishes for Missouri is athletes and sports competitors, with a mean annual wage of $239,200+ — 636.5% higher than the U.S. all-occupation mean of $67,920 — and a median wage of $67,930 across 420 jobs. Compared with the same occupation nationally (mean $239,200+), Missouri pays 92.6% higher for this work. Next on the list are cardiologists at a mean of $239,200+ and orthopedic surgeons, except pediatric at $239,200+. These top-paying fields are small: together the top three employ 690 people in Missouri, so they describe the top of the Missouri wage ladder rather than the typical worker's experience.
| Occupation | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athletes and Sports Competitors | 420 | — | $67,930 | $239,200+ |
| Cardiologists | 130 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | 140 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 90 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | 100 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Neurologists | 40 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | 320 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Physicians, All Other | 5,230 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Psychiatrists | 350 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Physicians, Pathologists | 660 | $102.61 | $213,430 | $239,200+ |
| Surgeons, All Other | 350 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 1,210 | $106.51 | $221,550 | $237,490 |
| Pediatricians, General | 170 | $103.39 | $215,040 | $230,140 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 2,470 | $104.32 | $216,990 | $228,690 |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | 30 | $104.52 | $217,400 | $225,340 |
Largest occupations in Missouri
The occupation with the most jobs in Missouri is general and operations managers, employing an estimated 105,210 people at a median annual wage of $77,410 and a mean of $101,060. Nationally the same occupation pays a median of $102,950, so Missouri's typical pay for this work runs 24.8% lower. The next-largest occupations are home health and personal care aides (91,570 jobs, median $29,640) and registered nurses (74,270 jobs, median $79,770). Because these occupations are so large, their wages move the overall picture of Missouri pay far more than the small, highly paid fields above.
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual | Mean annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 105,210 | $77,410 | $101,060 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 91,570 | $29,640 | $32,940 |
| Registered Nurses | 74,270 | $79,770 | $81,950 |
| Cashiers | 69,980 | $29,400 | $31,030 |
| Retail Salespersons | 63,100 | $31,250 | $35,440 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 62,110 | $36,500 | $38,980 |
| Office Clerks, General | 57,870 | $40,350 | $44,200 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 56,190 | $41,850 | $45,000 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 52,590 | $29,450 | $30,070 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 48,540 | $37,950 | $39,900 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 47,530 | $50,540 | $54,480 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 43,360 | $26,950 | $32,790 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 41,010 | $34,080 | $35,500 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 40,380 | $48,250 | $54,470 |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 37,590 | $43,510 | $46,040 |
Where Missouri pays a premium — and where it lags
Comparing each occupation's Missouri median with its own national median shows where Missouri's labor market is strong. Among occupations with at least 1,000 Missouri jobs, the largest premium is for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators: a median of $70,520 in Missouri versus $51,650 nationally, 36.5% higher. The largest discount is for first-line supervisors of correctional officers, at $45,390 in Missouri versus $76,310 nationally, 40.5% lower. In total, 58 of the 352 occupations with 1,000 or more Missouri jobs pay a median above their national median. Separately, 217 of the 711 occupations published for Missouri have a median annual wage above the U.S. all-occupation mean of $67,920, which underlines how much of Missouri's job base sits in lower-wage service work even in a state with high-paying headline jobs.
| Occupation | Missouri median | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators | $70,520 | $51,650 | +36.5% |
| Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $58,920 | $45,190 | +30.4% |
| Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $58,210 | $46,060 | +26.4% |
| Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors | $70,020 | $59,950 | +16.8% |
| Brickmasons and Blockmasons | $70,520 | $60,800 | +16.0% |
| Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors | $31,320 | $46,180 | -32.2% |
| Biological Scientists, All Other | $63,290 | $93,330 | -32.2% |
| Sales and Related Workers, All Other | $31,360 | $46,370 | -32.4% |
| Operations Research Analysts | $55,640 | $91,290 | -39.1% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers | $45,390 | $76,310 | -40.5% |
Missouri salary FAQ
What is the highest-paying job in Missouri?
By average pay, athletes and sports competitors is the highest-paying occupation BLS publishes for Missouri, with a mean annual wage of $239,200+ and a median of $67,930 in May 2024.
What is the average salary in Missouri?
For context, the U.S. all-occupation mean annual wage was $67,920 in May 2024. In Missouri, the largest occupation, general and operations managers, paid a median of $77,410 across 105,210 jobs, and the tables on this page show mean and median pay for all 711 published occupations.
How many jobs does the largest occupation in Missouri have?
General and Operations Managers is the largest occupation published for Missouri, with an estimated 105,210 jobs in May 2024 and a mean annual wage of $101,060.
Which occupations pay more in Missouri than in the U.S. overall?
Among occupations with at least 1,000 Missouri jobs, paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators shows the largest premium: a median of $70,520 in Missouri versus $51,650 nationally, 36.5% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Figures checked October 2026.