Average Salaries in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
Explore salaries across 205 occupations in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $55.4K, -15.8% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 205 occupations and 37,990 total jobs in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL.
How the metro compares
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL is among the lower-paying metros. Most occupations here earn less than their national averages, though cost of living is typically lower too.
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Pharmacists. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacists | $141.3K | 100 |
| Physician Assistants | $141.1K | 40 |
| Financial Managers | $139.7K | 120 |
| Industrial Production Managers | $133.1K | 70 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $130K | 200 |
| Human Resources Managers | $128.2K | 30 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $128.2K | 80 |
| Medical And Health Services Managers | $104K | 280 |
| Construction Managers | $103K | 70 |
| Physical Therapists | $100.4K | 100 |
Largest occupations in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 1,540 | $33.9K |
| Registered Nurses | 1,470 | $82.6K |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,460 | $30.3K |
| General And Operations Managers | 1,450 | $74.8K |
| Cashiers | 1,270 | $29.4K |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 1,070 | $28.8K |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,030 | $47.1K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 930 | $35K |
| Office Clerks, General | 850 | $38.8K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 820 | $28.7K |
What Cape Girardeau, MO-IL specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Cooks, Fast Food | 5.79 | $28.8K |
| Excavating And Loading Machine And Dragline Operators, Surface Mining | 5.73 | $57.6K |
| Occupational Therapy Assistants | 4.13 | $62K |
| Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Wood | 3.24 | $37.7K |
| Medical Equipment Preparers | 3.17 | $37K |
| Millwrights | 2.78 | $60.3K |
| Extruding, Forming, Pressing, And Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 2.77 | N/A |
| Physical Therapist Assistants | 2.64 | $61.6K |
| Opticians, Dispensing | 2.59 | $36.1K |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 2.58 | $47.1K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.