Healthcare

Physician Salary in Missouri (2026)

The average Physician in Missouri earns around $270,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $184,559/year ($15,380/month).

Take-Home Pay Breakdown

CategoryAmount
Annual Take-Home Pay
$184,559
Monthly Take-Home Pay
$15,380
Biweekly Take-Home Pay
$7,098
Hourly Take-Home Pay

based on 2,080 hrs/year

$89/hr
Federal Tax
$57,704
State Tax
$11,753
FICA Taxes
$15,984
Effective Tax Rate

total taxes ÷ gross salary

31.64%
Estimates only — not tax advice. · Full disclaimer →

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Physician Salary Ranges in Missouri

Entry Level (0–3 yrs)

$195,000

/year

See tax breakdown →

Mid Level (3–7 yrs)

$270,000

/year

See tax breakdown →

Senior Level (7+ yrs)

$425,000

/year

See tax breakdown →

Not all Physicians earn the same — not even close

Missouri's physician market is anchored by Washington University School of Medicine (consistently top-10 nationally for research funding plus the country's strongest combined NIH-funded medical school + university research enterprise) plus BJC HealthCare (St. Louis, ~30,000 employees, including Barnes-Jewish Hospital flagship), Mercy Health (statewide system, Chesterfield HQ, ~50,000 employees nationally), SSM Health (St. Louis-based, ~40,000 employees), University Health Kansas City (academic medical center), Saint Luke's Health System Kansas City, and CoxHealth + Mercy Springfield. MO is an Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) member since 2018.

Surgical Subspecialist (Ortho / Neuro / CT)

$515,000–$850,000+ TC

WashU SOM senior surgical subspecialty · BJC tertiary referral · academic + private practice mix

Cardiology / Gastroenterology / Interventional

$415,000–$685,000

BJC + Mercy + SSM + Saint Luke's KC · procedural specialty premium

Anesthesiology

$385,000–$595,000

BJC + Mercy + Saint Luke's KC + University Health KC · CRNA team supervision common

Hospitalist (IM)

$245,000–$340,000

Most common attending IM hospital practice · BJC + Mercy + SSM + Saint Luke's + CoxHealth Springfield

Family Medicine / Primary Care

$215,000–$305,000

Mercy primary care · Cox primary care · KU Med family medicine · rural MO premium

Pediatrician (Hospital)

$215,000–$310,000

St. Louis Children's Hospital (BJC) · Children's Mercy Kansas City · nationally ranked pediatric

Psychiatry

$245,000–$365,000

WashU SOM Psychiatry · severe statewide shortage · IMLC mobility plus MO-specific telehealth

Emergency Medicine

$285,000–$420,000

BJC Barnes-Jewish ED · Mercy ED · Saint Luke's ED · trauma center premium

IM / FM Resident (PGY-1 to PGY-3)

$62,000–$76,000

WashU + Saint Louis University + University of Missouri + UMKC residency programs

New Attending (0-3 yrs post-residency)

$225,000–$345,000

Post-residency placement · BJC + Mercy + SSM + Saint Luke's + CoxHealth · primary care vs specialty range

Worth knowing: Washington University School of Medicine is the structural feature most national physician-market surveys understate. Consistently top-10 nationally for NIH research funding ($706M+ FY2023, ranking 4th in total NIH support), WashU SOM operates the most prestigious academic medical center in the Midwest. The 14 BJC hospitals (Barnes-Jewish Hospital downtown St. Louis is the flagship tertiary referral center, plus St. Louis Children's Hospital which is among the top 5 nationally ranked pediatric hospitals) plus the WashU faculty practice produce a genuinely competitive academic-track for surgical subspecialty and complex medical specialty care. Senior surgical subspecialists at BJC + WashU clear $500-850K TC routinely. Mercy Health and SSM Health add substantial community-hospital practice depth across the state. Saint Luke's Health System Kansas City and University Health KC anchor western Missouri. MO joined IMLC in 2018 via SB 579 — IN-licensed physicians can obtain expedited licensure in 36+ compact-member states for telehealth or locum practice. The 1% city earnings tax in St. Louis AND Kansas City applies to non-resident physician wages earned within city limits as well — a BJC attending living in Clayton or University City but working at Barnes-Jewish pays the additional 1%; an attending at WashU School of Medicine (in Central West End city limits) likewise.

Sources & Methodology

Salary figures are market estimates for Physicians in Missouri and vary by employer, specialty, seniority, and metro. Take-home math assumes a single filer with no dependents, the standard deduction, and Missouri 2026 state rates. Local taxes, insurance premiums, and pre-tax contributions will move your number — run the calculator for your own situation.

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