Average Salaries in Jefferson City, MO
Explore salaries across 300 occupations in Jefferson City, MO. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $59.3K, -9.9% 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: 300 occupations and 71,540 total jobs in Jefferson City, MO.
How the metro compares
Jefferson City, MO pays modestly below the national average. That can be partly offset by a lower cost of living compared with higher-paying markets.
Jefferson City, MO is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Psychiatrists. 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 Jefferson City, MO
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 Jefferson City, MO
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Psychiatrists | $282.1K | 40 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $224.1K | 40 |
| Physicians, All Other | $220.5K | 50 |
| Dentists, General | $208.6K | 50 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $160.5K | 50 |
| Physician Assistants | $135.3K | 40 |
| Pharmacists | $130.2K | 100 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $128.7K | 130 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $127.3K | 250 |
| Industrial Production Managers | $126.9K | 110 |
Largest occupations in Jefferson City, MO
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| General And Operations Managers | 2,280 | $76.2K |
| Registered Nurses | 1,910 | $85K |
| Secretaries And Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, And Executive | 1,880 | $41K |
| Cashiers | 1,650 | $29.4K |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,600 | $39.6K |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,540 | $30.4K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 1,430 | $35K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,360 | $39K |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 1,320 | $28.6K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 1,170 | $31.8K |
What Jefferson City, MO 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 Jefferson City, MO than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Jefferson City, MO
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Statisticians | 20.76 | $59.6K |
| Healthcare Support Workers, All Other | 18.90 | $48.4K |
| Agricultural Technicians | 17.94 | $40.5K |
| Conservation Scientists | 16.28 | $56.3K |
| Life, Physical, And Social Science Technicians, All Other | 7.85 | $36.8K |
| Emergency Management Directors | 7.79 | $70.8K |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Correctional Officers | 7.49 | $50.7K |
| Paving, Surfacing, And Tamping Equipment Operators | 7.09 | $60.9K |
| Print Binding And Finishing Workers | 6.90 | $37.1K |
| Environmental Scientists And Specialists, Including Health | 6.15 | $59.8K |
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 Jefferson City, MO
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.