Missouri's
top 30 employing occupations account for more than 1 million of
the state's workers, or 38.6 percent of total employment.
These occupations have an average hourly wage of $14.43 (excluding
teachers & instructors and secondary school teachers, except
special and vocational education). The average annual wage for all
30 occupations is $30,141.
Hourly pay for the top 30 occupations ranges from $7.35 for
combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast
food, to $46.42 for general and operations managers.
The average hourly wage for all 2,700,450 Missouri jobs was $17.15 with an average annual wage of $35,670.
The education and training level for the top 30 Missouri occupations varies from short-term on-the-job training (cashiers, retail salespersons, etc.) to a Bachelor's degree or more (general and operations managers, accountants and auditors, etc.).
The data in Table 1 is ordered according to number employed in each occupation in Missouri and includes average hourly wages and average annual wages.
Table 1
| SOC Code | Occupation Title | Employment | Average Hourly Wages |
Average Annual Wages |
| 00-0000 | All Occupations | 2,700,450 | $17.15 | $35,670 |
| 41-2031 | Retail salespersons | 91,590 | $11.77 | $24,480 |
| 41-2011 | Cashiers | 81,800 | $8.20 | $17,050 |
| 35-3021 | Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food | 67,820 | $7.35 | $15,280 |
| 29-1111 | Registered nurses | 55,470 | $25.55 | $53,150 |
| 35-3031 | Waiters and waitresses | 55,110 | $7.48 | $15,560 |
| 53-7062 | Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand | 45,520 | $11.40 | $23,710 |
| 53-3032 | Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer | 44,090 | $17.80 | $37,020 |
| 37-2011 | Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners | 41,990 | $9.60 | $19,980 |
| 51-2092 | Team assemblers | 38,880 | $12.98 | $26,990 |
| 43-4051 | Customer service representatives | 38,700 | $14.43 | $30,010 |
| 31-1012 | Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants | 37,180 | $9.64 | $20,060 |
| 43-3031 | Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks | 37,090 | $14.27 | $29,690 |
| 41-4012 | Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products | 33,090 | $27.19 | $56,540 |
| 49-9042 | Maintenance and repair workers, general | 30,350 | $15.64 | $32,530 |
| 43-5081 | Stock clerks and order fillers | 28,830 | $10.57 | $21,990 |
| 47-2031 | Carpenters | 26,810 | $20.28 | $42,190 |
| 43-6011 | Executive secretaries and administrative assistants | 26,400 | $18.96 | $39,440 |
| 11-1021 | General and operations managers | 25,790 | $46.72 | $97,170 |
| 43-6014 | Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive | 25,380 | $13.29 | $27,630 |
| 13-2011 | Accountants and auditors | 24,050 | $27.49 | $57,170 |
| 25-3099 | Teachers and instructors, all other | 20,890 | * | $25,400 |
| 37-2012 | Maids and housekeeping cleaners | 20,600 | $8.36 | $17,380 |
| 35-2014 | Cooks, restaurant | 20,330 | $9.44 | $19,630 |
| 43-1011 | First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers | 19,000 | $22.23 | $46,240 |
| 33-9032 | Security guards | 18,960 | $11.68 | $24,290 |
| 25-2031 | Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education | 18,690 | * | $41,900 |
| 29-2061 | Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses | 17,860 | $15.69 | $32,630 |
| 43-4171 | Receptionists and information clerks | 17,640 | $10.63 | $22,120 |
| 39-9021 | Personal and home care aides | 17,580 | $8.40 | $17,470 |
| 53-3033 | Truck drivers, light or delivery services | 17,450 | $13.02 | $27,080 |
*Occupation does not have reported hourly wage..
Missouri's Major SOC Groups
The
top 30 Missouri occupations are represented in 15 of the 22 major
occupational groups in the Standard Occupational Classification
(SOC) system. The major SOC group of Office and Administrative
Support Occupations accounted for seven of the top 30 employing
occupations in Missouri. The SOC groups of Food Preparation and
Serving Related; Sales and Related Occupations; and Transportation
and Material Moving each accounted for three of the top 30
occupations.
The seven major SOC groups not represented in the top 30 occupations
in Missouri are:
- Computer and Mathematical Occupations
- Architecture and Engineering Occupations
- Life, Physical and Social Science Occupations
- Community and Social Services
- Legal Occupations
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media Occupations
- Farming, Fishing and Forestry Occupations
Table 2 lists the 15 major SOC groups containing Missouri's top 30 occupations.
Table 2
| Major Groups | SOC Code | Occupations |
| Office and Administrative Support | 43-1011 | First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
| 43-3031 | Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks | |
| 43-4051 | Customer service representatives | |
| 43-4171 | Receptionists and information clerks | |
| 43-5081 | Stock clerks and order fillers | |
| 43-6011 | Executive secretaries and administrative assistants | |
| 43-6014 | Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive | |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | 35-2014 | Cooks, restaurants |
| 35-3021 | Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food | |
| 35-3031 | Waiters and waitresses | |
| Sales and Related | 41-2011 | Cashiers |
| 41-2031 | Retail salespersons | |
| 41-4012 | Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products | |
| Transportation and Material Moving | 53-3032 | Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
| 53-3033 | Truck drivers, light or delivery services | |
| 53-7062 | Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand | |
| Education, Training, and Library | 25-2031 | Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education |
| 25-3099 | Teachers and instructors, all other | |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | 29-1111 | Registered nurses |
| 29-2061 | Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses | |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | 37-2011 | Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
| 37-2012 | Maids and housekeeping cleaners | |
| Management | 11-1021 | General and operations managers |
| Business and Financial Operations | 13-2011 | Accountants and auditors |
| Healthcare Support | 31-1012 | Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants |
| Protective Service | 33-9032 | Security guards |
| Personal Care and Service | 39-9021 | Personal and home care aides |
| Construction and Extraction | 47-2031 | Carpenters |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | 49-9042 | Maintenance and repair workers, general |
| Production | 51-2092 | Team assemblers |
Surrounding States Comparison
The occupations for Missouri's eight surrounding states (Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Tennessee) are compared to the state's top 30 occupations in Table 3. The data compares wages (hourly wages, or when not available, average annual wages) of each of the top 30 Missouri occupations with those same occupations from the surrounding states.
Of surrounding states, only Illinois had more occupations that paid higher average wages than Missouri. Twenty-five of the occupations analyzed paid higher average wages in Illinois than Missouri. The five occupations that paid higher average wages in Missouri than Illinois were: security guards, cooks, retail salespersons, team assemblers, and laborers and material movers.
Eleven of the 30 corresponding occupations in Tennessee paid higher average wages than in Missouri, followed by Iowa and Kansas with nine occupations each; Nebraska with eight; Kentucky with six; Arkansas with one; and Oklahoma had no occupations that paid higher average wages than Missouri.
Two occupations paid higher in Missouri than all other surrounding states. Both retail salespersons ($11.77 per hour) and laborers and material movers ($11.40) made more on average in Missouri than any surrounding state.
Teachers and instructors in Missouri made less, on average than all states but Oklahoma. Their average annual wage in Missouri of $25,400 was nearly $17,000 less than the highest state (Illinois), but almost $6,500 more than the lowest state (Oklahoma).
| SOC Code | Occupation Title | MO Wage | AR Wage | IL Wage | IA Wage | KS Wage | KY Wage | NE Wage | OK Wage | TN Wage |
| 00-0000 | All Occupations | $17.15 | $14.84 | $19.67 | $15.99 | $16.81 | $16.10 | $16.49 | $15.66 | $16.46 |
| 11-1021 | General and operations managers | $46.72 | $40.85 | $49.36 | $41.49 | $38.37 | $37.66 | $43.68 | $33.97 | $39.39 |
| 13-2011 | Accountants and auditors | $27.49 | $22.91 | $31.16 | $26.19 | $25.45 | $24.18 | $27.41 | $23.67 | $24.90 |
| 25-2031 | Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education | $41,900 | $41,530 | $59,250 | $36,150 | $37,100 | $43,380 | $41,700 | $36,240 | $42,650 |
| 25-3099 | Teachers and instructors, all other | $25,400 | $30,400 | $42,350 | $31,800 | $32,380 | $26,670 | $36,630 | $18,960 | $35,410 |
| 29-1111 | Registered nurses | $25.55 | $24.68 | $27.21 | $22.61 | $23.64 | $25.04 | $24.71 | $23.31 | $26.20 |
| 29-2061 | Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses | $15.69 | $15.02 | $18.21 | $15.87 | $16.21 | $16.24 | $16.13 | $14.83 | $15.73 |
| 31-1012 | Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants | $9.64 | $8.87 | $10.44 | $10.82 | $10.02 | $10.02 | $10.53 | $8.89 | $10.03 |
| 33-9032 | Security guards | $11.68 | $9.56 | $11.58 | $11.80 | $11.74 | $10.60 | $11.72 | $11.38 | $10.05 |
| 35-2014 | Cooks, restaurant | $9.44 | $8.24 | $8.99 | $8.96 | $8.95 | $8.83 | $9.15 | $8.26 | $9.52 |
| 35-3021 | Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food | $7.35 | $6.44 | $7.87 | $7.17 | $6.94 | $6.73 | $7.19 | $6.73 | $7.24 |
| 35-3031 | Waiters and waitresses | $7.48 | $6.90 | $8.43 | $7.06 | $7.12 | $6.80 | $7.15 | $6.99 | $7.16 |
| 37-2011 | Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners | $9.60 | $8.84 | $11.20 | $10.33 | $9.71 | $9.45 | $9.75 | $8.75 | $9.21 |
| 37-2012 | Maids and housekeeping cleaners | $8.36 | $7.13 | $8.90 | $8.54 | $7.81 | $8.08 | $8.16 | $7.40 | $7.81 |
| 39-9021 | Personal and home care aides | $8.40 | $7.25 | $8.70 | $9.61 | $8.59 | $8.09 | $9.42 | $7.94 | $8.30 |
| 41-2011 | Cashiers | $8.20 | $7.42 | $8.64 | $7.77 | $7.90 | $7.69 | $7.86 | $7.56 | $7.84 |
| 41-2031 | Retail salespersons | $11.77 | $9.74 | $11.52 | $11.08 | $10.46 | $9.83 | $11.22 | $10.42 | $11.48 |
| 41-4012 | Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products | $27.19 | $22.61 | $31.25 | $23.40 | $29.15 | $25.30 | $24.89 | $24.27 | $27.54 |
| 43-1011 | First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers | $22.23 | $18.03 | $23.68 | $20.78 | $19.28 | $18.97 | $20.55 | $18.49 | $20.01 |
| 43-3031 | Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks | $14.27 | $13.14 | $15.56 | $13.48 | $13.25 | $13.54 | $13.25 | $13.41 | $14.29 |
| 43-4051 | Customer service representatives | $14.43 | $13.09 | $15.85 | $13.39 | $13.18 | $13.40 | $13.05 | $12.46 | $13.76 |
| 43-4171 | Receptionists and information clerks | $10.63 | $9.48 | $11.93 | $10.67 | $10.78 | $10.30 | $10.73 | $9.93 | $10.88 |
| 43-5081 | Stock clerks and order fillers | $10.57 | $9.12 | $10.69 | $9.87 | $10.83 | $11.65 | $10.53 | $10.02 | $10.11 |
| 43-6011 | Executive secretaries and administrative assistants | $18.96 | $14.92 | $18.98 | $16.28 | $16.37 | $15.72 | $15.47 | $15.56 | $15.96 |
| 43-6014 | Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive | $13.29 | $11.04 | $13.56 | $12.30 | $11.47 | $11.34 | $12.45 | $11.03 | $12.04 |
| 47-2031 | Carpenters | $20.28 | $14.73 | $25.14 | $16.20 | $17.70 | $16.13 | $15.59 | $14.40 | $14.72 |
| 49-9042 | Maintenance and repair workers, general | $15.64 | $14.00 | $18.40 | $15.69 | $14.93 | $15.10 | $14.59 | $14.60 | $15.73 |
| 51-2092 | Team assemblers | $12.98 | $11.83 | $11.32 | $12.98 | $12.71 | $14.05 | $12.66 | $11.98 | $13.16 |
| 53-3032 | Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer | $17.80 | $17.27 | $19.03 | $15.65 | $17.02 | $16.20 | $16.72 | $15.67 | $17.04 |
| 53-3033 | Truck drivers, light or delivery services | $13.02 | $10.27 | $14.55 | $12.43 | $12.05 | $12.39 | $13.48 | $11.27 | $12.65 |
| 53-7062 | Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand | $11.40 | $9.65 | $11.20 | $10.95 | $10.96 | $10.84 | $10.83 | $9.90 | $10.65 |
Highlighted figures indicate a higher wage or salary in that state compared to Missouri.
Updated May 29, 2007
