StateRates

St. Louis salaries

The median worker in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area earned $48,290 a year in 2024, about $23.21 an hour. That ranks #126 of the 391 metro areas published here, 2.4% below the national median.

Missouri Illinois

Median pay $48,290 $23.21 per hour
Vs national -2.4% U.S. $49,500
Workers 1,339,700 wage and salary
Metro rank #126 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

St. Louis pays 4.1% more than Missouri as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.

Housing here moved +4.1% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +35.5% over five years. Pay and house prices rarely move together, and where they diverge for long the affordability of an area changes even when nothing about the jobs does. House prices in St. Louis.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Museum Technicians and Conservators 7.38× 840 $47,120
Cooks, Fast Food 3.12× 18,130 $30,380
Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles 3.08× 670 $67,450
Special Education Teachers, Preschool 2.79× 680 $49,480
Brickmasons and Blockmasons 2.3× 1,070 $77,120
Dental Laboratory Technicians 2.21× 650 $48,290
Machinists 2.17× 5,640 $60,850
Legislators 2.16× 500 $29,120
Telemarketers 2.07× 1,200 $27,750
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists 2.01× 720 $81,510
Tour and Travel Guides 2× 850 $31,410
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary 1.9× 3,800 $81,920

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in St. Louis
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Nurse Anesthetists $192,070 $92.34 310
Chief Executives $172,600 $82.98 1,840
Natural Sciences Managers $161,450 $77.62 520
Architectural and Engineering Managers $155,100 $74.57 1,160
Computer and Information Systems Managers $154,760 $74.40 4,680
Financial Managers $140,240 $67.42 6,890
Physician Assistants $140,240 $67.42 790
Pharmacists $137,730 $66.22 2,980
Purchasing Managers $134,220 $64.53 670
Optometrists $130,620 $62.80 350
Nurse Practitioners $129,390 $62.21 3,360
Human Resources Managers $128,520 $61.79 2,050
Lawyers $128,070 $61.57 6,050
Managers, All Other $127,070 $61.09 4,530
Marketing Managers $125,930 $60.54 3,030
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $125,560 $60.37 460
Database Architects $122,290 $58.79 910
Computer Network Architects $122,130 $58.72 1,310
Veterinarians $121,750 $58.53 890
Software Developers $120,490 $57.93 9,360
Computer Hardware Engineers $116,880 $56.19 320
Aerospace Engineers $116,600 $56.06 650
Sales Managers $113,530 $54.58 4,260
Electrical Engineers $113,310 $54.47 1,730
Industrial Production Managers $109,940 $52.86 2,120
Public Relations Managers $107,440 $51.65 450
Information Security Analysts $106,250 $51.08 1,280
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $106,060 $50.99 1,840
Administrative Services Managers $104,920 $50.44 2,090
Medical and Health Services Managers $104,410 $50.20 4,330
Construction Managers $104,310 $50.15 2,670
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $104,260 n/a 3,050
Postsecondary Teachers, All Other $103,220 n/a 420
Management Analysts $102,540 $49.30 6,250
Food Scientists and Technologists $102,270 $49.17 360
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $101,950 $49.01 1,770
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $101,820 $48.95 1,450
Environmental Engineers $101,580 $48.84 220
Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary $101,370 n/a 260
Engineers, All Other $100,650 $48.39 570
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers $100,410 $48.27 1,160
Facilities Managers $100,330 $48.24 1,220
Commercial Pilots $100,000 n/a 370
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $99,250 $47.72 820
Computer Occupations, All Other $99,100 $47.64 6,040
Art Directors $98,660 $47.44 420
Computer Systems Analysts $98,330 $47.27 3,960
Computer Programmers $97,930 $47.08 800
Civil Engineers $97,930 $47.08 2,820
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval $97,690 $46.97 920
Power Plant Operators $97,440 $46.85 380
Financial Risk Specialists $97,410 $46.83 510
Labor Relations Specialists $97,340 $46.80 710
Physical Therapists $96,770 $46.53 2,260
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels $96,330 $46.31 220
Industrial Engineers $95,610 $45.97 2,730
Sales Engineers $95,450 $45.89 260
Database Administrators $95,400 $45.87 710
Training and Development Managers $95,260 $45.80 230
Chemists $95,060 $45.70 1,150

Where most people work

Largest occupations in St. Louis by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
General and Operations Managers 45,370 $83,410 $40.10
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 42,390 $29,700 $14.28
Registered Nurses 33,660 $82,560 $39.69
Cashiers 29,960 $30,290 $14.56
Stockers and Order Fillers 29,480 $37,470 $18.01
Retail Salespersons 28,680 $33,080 $15.90
Customer Service Representatives 26,860 $44,250 $21.27
Office Clerks, General 25,260 $43,000 $20.67
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 23,470 $39,170 $18.83
Fast Food and Counter Workers 21,660 $29,940 $14.39
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 20,160 $34,750 $16.71
Waiters and Waitresses 20,010 $29,030 $13.96
Cooks, Fast Food 18,130 $30,380 $14.60
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 18,080 $55,960 $26.90
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 16,000 $44,340 $21.32
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 15,070 $59,240 n/a
Nursing Assistants 14,360 $38,820 $18.66
Cooks, Restaurant 13,910 $36,450 $17.53
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 13,540 $52,600 $25.29
Accountants and Auditors 12,440 $77,770 $37.39

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.

Other Missouri metro areas

St. Louis pay: common questions

What is the average salary in St. Louis?

The median across all occupations is $48,290, or $23.21 an hour, covering 1,339,700 wage and salary workers. The mean is $63,580, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does St. Louis pay more than the rest of Missouri?

Yes. The metro median of $48,290 is 4.1% above the Missouri median of $46,390. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.

Which jobs pay best in St. Louis?

Nurse Anesthetists ($192,070), Chief Executives ($172,600), Natural Sciences Managers ($161,450). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is St. Louis unusually full of?

Museum Technicians and Conservators, at 7.38× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.