What is the median Missouri salary in 2026?

Missouri's median household income lands near $67,000 — close to $13,000 below the US median ($80,000). Per-capita personal income ~$58,000. Statewide medians; Clayton, Town & Country, Ladue, and Mission Hills KS-side (across the line) run 100-150% higher; southern Missouri rural counties (Wayne, Reynolds, Shannon) and Bootheel counties (Pemiscot, Dunklin) run 35-50% lower. The phrase 'average MO salary' usually conflates median with arithmetic mean — pulled up by Centene executive comp, Boeing Defense senior tier, Edward Jones full partners, and Burns & McDonnell ESOP value.

Why is Missouri's bracket structure so weird?

8 brackets compressed into the first $7,000 of taxable income — rising in 0.5-point steps from 1.5% to 4.5%, then 4.95% on everything above. The bracket structure is theater for almost everyone — a $50K single filer pays a couple hundred dollars total in the small brackets then 4.95% on the rest. The 2022 reform set the top at 4.95% (down from 5.4%); further reductions toward 4.5% are possible if revenue triggers hold. Missouri conforms to federal SD ($16,100 single / $32,200 MFJ for 2026), so no state-specific SD adds friction.

How do KC and STL city earnings taxes work?

Kansas City (Form RD-109) and St. Louis (Form E-1) each levy a 1% earnings tax on wages. Applies to BOTH residents AND non-residents working in the city. A suburban Lee's Summit or Independence resident commuting to a KC office owes 1% on in-city workdays; a Chesterfield or Clayton resident commuting to a downtown St. Louis office owes 1% on STL in-city days. Most of Clayton (where Centene HQ sits) is in St. Louis County not the City, so Centene HQ workers escape the STL 1%. Suburban Missouri outside KC and STL city limits has no earnings tax.

Is the Missouri federal tax liability subtraction worth chasing?

At MO's 4.95% top rate, the $5,000 single / $10,000 MFJ cap saves ~$248 / ~$495 per year max in MO tax. Useful but not life-changing. The MOST 529 deduction ($8,000 single / $16,000 MFJ per beneficiary) is appreciably bigger leverage for families with kids in college planning — at $16K MFJ per kid, ~$792 in MO tax saved per kid per year. For HNW filers, MOST 529 plus federal liability subtraction can save $1,500-2,500/year combined. MO is one of only 5 states (with AL, LA, MT, OR) still offering the federal subtraction.

How much do St. Louis Fortune-50 professionals make?

Centene Corporation HQ Clayton (Fortune 50) compensates senior executives at competitive rates — CEO Sarah London reported $15M in 2023 comp; senior division presidents at Medicaid managed care, Medicare Advantage, and marketplace clear $1-3M. Boeing Defense St. Louis senior systems engineers on F-15EX and MQ-25 clear $250-450K plus clearance retention. Edward Jones senior full partners clear $1-2M on the partner-track equity structure. Bayer Crop Science senior R&D directors run $250-400K. Stifel Financial senior MDs run $400-800K. The Clayton-Chesterfield corridor concentrates most of MO's seven-figure professional comp.

How does MO compare to KS, IL, IA, KY, TN for take-home?

State-only at $100K single: TN beats MO by ~$3,769 (no income tax); IA beats MO by ~$1,169; MO beats IL by ~$1,047; MO beats KS by ~$1,231. The KC-MO vs KC-KS cross-border math is the most asked: KC-MO city workers face MO 4.95% + 1% city tax (~$5,200 at $100K); KC-KS workers in Overland Park or Lenexa face KS 5.7% with no city tax (~$5,000). Net: roughly tied, with the decision more often driven by school district and housing than tax. KY-Louisville at 4% + 2.2% city sits worse than either KC side; KY non-Louisville beats both.

Missouri Salary Guide — 2026

Missouri Salary Guide 2026: Take-Home + Professions

Missouri's salary landscape splits across two corporate-finance cores — St. Louis's Fortune-50 cluster (Centene, Boeing Defense, Edward Jones, Bayer Crop Science, Emerson Electric, Stifel Financial) and Kansas City's middle-market HQ cluster (Hallmark, H&R Block, Burns & McDonnell, post-Oracle Cerner remnants). Missouri's 8-bracket schedule is theater above $7,000 of taxable income — almost everyone pays the 4.95% top (down from 5.4% pre-2022 reform; phasing toward 4.5% if revenue triggers hold). Missouri is one of only 5 remaining states allowing a federal tax liability subtraction (capped $5,000 single / $10,000 MFJ). Kansas City and St. Louis each levy a 1% earnings tax on residents AND non-residents working in the city. Median household income lands near $67,000, lifted by STL's Fortune-50 professional core but pulled down by southern Missouri and the Bootheel.

See Missouri Tax Guide →Missouri Paycheck Calculator →

Section 2

Missouri take-home pay in 2026 at five common salary tiers

Figures use 2026 federal brackets per Rev. Proc. 2025-32, 6.2% Social Security to $184,500, 1.45% Medicare, and Missouri's effective 4.95% rate after federal SD ($16,100) and the federal tax liability subtraction (capped $5,000 single — fully captured at $75K+ incomes). Single filer, zero 401(k). KC and STL 1% city earnings tax is layered separately in Section 6 — adds $1,000 at $100K for residents and non-residents working in city limits.

Gross salary	Take-home (single)	Note
$50,000	$41,002	$3,417/month — workable in Springfield, Columbia, or STL County; tight inside Clayton or KC's Country Club Plaza. KC or STL city residents subtract another $500.
$75,000	$59,060	$4,922/month — middle of the road statewide; covers STL's Tower Grove, KC's Brookside, or Columbia's Old Southwest. KC or STL city residents subtract $750.
$100,000	$75,411	$6,284/month — STL or KC metro Tier-1 comfort outside the priciest Clayton or Mission Hills suburbs. Federal liability $5K cap binds; effective MO ~3.8%. KC or STL city residents subtract $1,000.
$150,000	$107,547	$8,962/month — Clayton, Town & Country, Brentwood, Mission Hills KS-side, or Leawood KS-side accessible. KC or STL city residents subtract $1,500.
$200,000	$140,208	$11,684/month after taxes. Additional Medicare 0.9% kicks in above $200K (not yet active at this exact threshold). KC or STL city residents subtract $2,000.

Two-earner married households see different FICA math because each spouse has their own Social Security wage base. Missouri's 4.95% top combined with the federal liability subtraction means most professionals pay an effective ~3.6-4.0% MO rate — competitive with Iowa's 3.8% flat. KC and STL 1% city earnings taxes shift the math for residents and non-residents working in city limits; most of Clayton (where Centene HQ sits) is in St. Louis County not the City, so Centene HQ workers escape STL's 1%. MOST 529 deduction ($8K single / $16K MFJ per beneficiary) is among the most generous in the country. Use the calculator at the top for your specific filing status, city, 401(k), and HSA inputs.

Section 3

Where Missouri's highest salaries cluster — by role and employer

Median compensation bands for senior practitioners and named MO employers. Typical pay ranges, not entry-level — junior versions of each role generally pay 40-60% less.

Centene executive — Fortune-50 health insurer

$300K – $15M+ all-in

Centene Corporation HQ Clayton MO (Fortune 50, ~21K Clayton of ~75K nationally). CEO Sarah London reported $15M in 2023 comp. Senior division presidents at Medicaid managed care, Medicare Advantage, and marketplace clear $1-3M. Anchors a deep healthcare-finance cluster around Clayton + Chesterfield.

Boeing senior defense engineer / executive — STL Defense complex

$200K – $5M+

Boeing Defense, Space & Security St. Louis (~16K — F-15EX, F/A-18 Super Hornet, KC-46 Pegasus, MQ-25 Stingray autonomous tanker). Senior systems engineering on F-15EX (post-2024 USAF contract) and MQ-25 (Navy's first carrier-based autonomous program) clear $250-450K plus clearance retention.

Specialty physician (cardiology, oncology, ortho)

$400K – $700K

BJC HealthCare (~30K, largest STL metro employer), SSM Health HQ STL, Mercy Health STL, St. Luke's Chesterfield, Washington University School of Medicine. WashU academic cardiothoracic and oncology faculty reach $1M+; private-practice equivalents at BJC and Mercy clear $700K-1M.

BigLaw partner — St. Louis + Kansas City equity tier

$350K – $1M+

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner St. Louis (US co-HQ), Husch Blackwell, Thompson Coburn, Stinson Kansas City, Lathrop GPM, Polsinelli. Mid-tier nationally — most partners clear $500K-1M; the $1M+ outlier in narrow healthcare PE and Boeing / Centene transactional work.

Edward Jones financial advisor — senior partner

$300K – $2M+ (full partner)

Edward Jones HQ Des Peres MO (~10K HQ + ~50K worldwide — one of the country's largest investment advisory firms). The partner-track structure is distinctive — partners earn substantial equity in addition to base + bonus. Senior partners with established practices and long tenure clear $1-2M annually.

Anesthesiologist / Anesthesia CRNA

$420K – $620K (MD) · $200K – $280K (CRNA)

BJC, SSM, Mercy, St. Luke's, Saint Luke's KC, Truman Medical. MO permits CRNA practice with physician supervision. CRNAs are the highest-paid nursing specialty.

Bayer Crop Science senior R&D / agronomist

$150K – $300K + equity

Bayer Crop Science US HQ Creve Coeur MO (~7K St. Louis, post-2018 Monsanto acquisition). Senior research on seeds + traits + crop protection runs $200-350K. The post-Monsanto Roundup litigation (~$11B settlements through 2024) compressed comp briefly but stabilized 2024-2026.

Senior software engineer — Mastercard / Cerner / fintech

$160K – $280K + equity

Mastercard O'Fallon MO (~6K — global tech hub for US operations), Oracle Cerner Kansas City (post-2022 acquisition; ~9K KC area post-cuts), Block KC, Edward Jones tech, Wells Fargo Advisors tech St. Louis. MO software comp runs below Chicago / Minneapolis but ahead of Memphis / Nashville at staff+ tiers.

Burns & McDonnell senior engineer (employee-owned)

$150K – $350K + ESOP

Burns & McDonnell Kansas City MO HQ (~10K — engineering, architecture, construction; 100% employee-owned via ESOP). Senior project managers on power, T&D, aviation, and oil & gas clear $250-350K. The ESOP structure means tenured employees often retire with $1M+ in plan value.

Specialty nurse — ICU, ED, OR

$85K – $135K

BJC, SSM, Mercy, St. Luke's, WashU Medical Center. Magnet-hospital differentials add 15-25%; CRNA path adds $80-150K. KC and STL hospital comp runs below Chicago + Minneapolis on COL offsets.

Section 4

And where Missouri pays the least — typical floor jobs

Missouri's state minimum wage rises to $15.00 on January 1, 2026 per Proposition A (November 2024 ballot initiative, lifting MO from $12.30 in 2024 to $13.75 in 2025 and $15.00 in 2026). The tipped sub-minimum is half the regular minimum ($7.50 in 2026). One of the more aggressive minimum-wage trajectories in the Midwest. These bands reflect the higher floor plus modest skill premiums.

Retail cashier / sales associate

$30K – $36K

Walmart (heavy MO presence), Schnucks (STL-based regional grocer ~15K MO), Hy-Vee (heavier in KC), Dierbergs (STL-area grocer), Dollar General. Schnucks gives modest premium for full-time corporate-attached hourly.

Food service / fast-food worker

$28K – $38K

Independents and chains. MO tipped minimum at $7.50 in 2026 — appreciably higher than the federal $2.13 floor most Southeast states use. Restaurant servers on the Loop in STL, Westport in KC, or Branson often clear $45-65K after tips on volume.

Home health aide / personal care aide

$28K – $38K

MO's aging population and rural Medicaid expansion sustain steady demand. BAYADA, BrightStar, plus a long tail of small operators. Rural southwest and Bootheel run lower than KC and STL metros.

Childcare worker / preschool aide

$26K – $34K

Bright Horizons, KinderCare, plus thousands of small operators. MO's credential-to-pay ratio is poor; CDA-credentialed aides rarely clear $32K despite the Prop A lift.

Hospitality housekeeping / hotel staff

$28K – $36K

Marriott Renaissance STL, Hyatt Regency Crown Center KC, Branson Lodge resorts, Lake of the Ozarks resorts, Big Cedar Lodge Ridgedale. Branson tourism (~9M annual visitors) and Lake of the Ozarks summer support above-floor hospitality pay.

Meat processing / poultry worker — northwest MO

$34K – $48K

Tyson Foods Springfield + Carthage, Cargill Schuyler + Marshall, Smithfield Foods St. Joseph (~3K), Triumph Foods St. Joseph. St. Joseph processing pays above retail floor with hazard premiums but turnover is high.

Section 5

Missouri's economy — STL's Fortune-50 cluster, KC middle-market HQs, and the rural Ozarks-Bootheel

Missouri splits into three practical economic zones. St. Louis metro (St. Louis City + County + St. Charles + Jefferson + Franklin) anchors the state's Fortune-50 professional core. Centene Corporation HQ Clayton (Fortune 50, ~21K Clayton of ~75K nationally) is the largest private employer; Boeing Defense, Space & Security St. Louis (~16K — F-15EX, MQ-25, KC-46, F/A-18) is the largest defense employer. Edward Jones HQ Des Peres (~10K HQ + ~50K worldwide), Bayer Crop Science US HQ Creve Coeur (~7K post-2018 Monsanto acquisition), Emerson Electric HQ (~5K), Stifel Financial HQ (~9K), Wells Fargo Advisors HQ (~12K), Anheuser-Busch (~5K), Mastercard O'Fallon (~6K) round out the corporate tier. BJC HealthCare (~30K) is the metro's largest healthcare employer, anchored by Washington University School of Medicine.

Kansas City (Jackson + Clay + Platte + Cass MO counties) runs a middle-market HQ economy plus federal employment. Hallmark Cards HQ (~3K HQ), H&R Block HQ (~2.5K HQ), Burns & McDonnell HQ (~10K — 100% employee-owned via ESOP), Cerner KC (acquired by Oracle 2022; ~9K KC area post-cuts), American Century Investments. Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and federal agencies run substantial federal employment. KC straddles the MO-KS state line — most of the corporate HQ cluster is on the MO side; Garmin HQ Olathe and bedroom communities (Overland Park, Lenexa) are on the KS side. Springfield (southwest MO) runs on Bass Pro Shops HQ (~1K HQ + ~40K nationally), O'Reilly Automotive HQ, and Mercy Hospital.

Columbia (Boone County) runs on the University of Missouri (~30K students + ~14K employees) and MU Health Care. Jefferson City anchors state government plus Lincoln University. The Mississippi River corridor and the Bootheel (Pemiscot, Dunklin, Stoddard counties) carry agriculture — soybean, corn, cotton, rice — with seasonal harvest employment. St. Joseph (northwest MO) runs on Smithfield Foods + Triumph Foods pork processing. The Ozarks runs on tourism (Branson ~9M annual visitors + Lake of the Ozarks summer).

Section 6

How Missouri tax shapes your actual take-home

Missouri has 8 progressive brackets — 1.5% on the first $1,000 rising in 0.5-point steps to 4.95% above $7,000. Above $7,000, the 4.95% top rate applies to everything. The bracket structure is theater for almost everyone — a $100K MO single filer pays about $3,769 after federal SD ($16,100), $5K federal liability subtraction, and the 7 small bracket subsidies. Effective ~3.8% at $100K. The 2022 reform reduced the top from 5.4% to 4.95%; further reductions toward 4.5% are possible if revenue triggers continue to hold. Missouri conforms to federal SD.

Missouri is one of only 5 remaining states (with AL, LA, MT, OR) allowing a federal tax liability subtraction — capped at $5,000 single / $10,000 MFJ. For a $100K single filer paying ~$13,000 federal tax, the $5K cap is fully captured, reducing MO taxable income by $5K — a ~$250/year saving. MFJ at $200K typically captures the full $10K cap. Above the cap, no additional benefit. Kansas City and St. Louis (the city, not the county) each levy a 1% earnings tax on wages — applies to BOTH residents and non-residents working in the city. KC Form RD-109; STL Form E-1. Suburban commuters owe 1% on in-city workdays. Most of Clayton (where Centene HQ sits) is in St. Louis County not the City, so Centene HQ workers escape the STL 1%.

Missouri is appreciably retirement-friendly for Social-Security-plus-public-pension retirees. SS is fully exempt for filers with AGI under $85,000 single / $100,000 MFJ; above those thresholds, the exemption phases out. Public pensions (federal civil service, military, state, local) get a substantial exemption with similar income tests. Private pensions and IRA / 401(k) distributions for filers 60+ get a smaller $6,000 exemption. Property tax ~0.97% statewide. No state estate or inheritance tax. MOST 529 (Missouri Education Savings Program) is among the most generous in the country at $8K single / $16K MFJ per beneficiary — at 4.95%, ~$400-$800 per year per kid in tax saved.

Section 7

$100,000 in Missouri vs Midwest + Southeast peer states — same gross, different take-home

Single filer, $100,000 gross, no 401(k), federal standard deduction. State tax only (no KC / STL 1%) — federal and FICA are identical across all five. Missouri's effective ~3.8% state rate after federal liability subtraction is competitive with the lowest-tax states in the region; the KC / STL 1% earnings tax shifts the math for city residents and city commuters.

Missouri (baseline, no city earnings tax)

Take-home ~$75,411

State tax ~$3,769 after federal SD + $5K federal liability subtraction. KC and STL 1% earnings tax adds $1,000 at $100K for city residents and non-residents working there.

Tennessee

+$3,769 vs MO

TN 0% income tax — take-home ~$79,180. TN's 9.25-9.75% combined sales tax (2nd-highest US) bites separately on spending.

Iowa

+$1,169 vs MO

IA 3.8% flat (HF 2317 fully phased) — effective ~3.6% at $100K. Take-home ~$76,580. No city tax stack.

Illinois

−$1,047 vs MO

IL 4.95% flat with $2,775 PE — state-only ~$4,812. Take-home ~$74,364. No Chicago city income tax. IL property tax (~2.1%, #2 nationally) bites separately.

Kansas

−$1,231 vs MO

KS progressive top 5.7% — effective ~5.0% at $100K. Take-home ~$74,180. KC straddles the line: KC-MO workers face MO + 1% city tax; KC-KS workers (Overland Park, Lenexa) face KS 5.7% with no city tax.