# Missouri Job Market: Industries & Salaries (2026) | Jobs Near Me

> Explore the Missouri job market. Healthcare, defense, finance, and agriculture industries across Kansas City and St. Louis with salary data.

Missouri sits at the geographic center of the continental U.S., making it a natural hub for transportation, logistics, and corporate operations. Kansas City's tech scene is growing while St. Louis maintains strength in healthcare, defense, and financial services.

## Top Industries

- Healthcare: BJC HealthCare, SSM Health, Mercy, and Cerner (now Oracle Health, KC) are major employers. Washington University School of Medicine is top-10 nationally. 350,000+ healthcare workers statewide.

- Agriculture & Food Processing: Missouri is a top-10 agricultural state. Soybeans, corn, cattle, and pork. Anheuser-Busch (St. Louis), Nestlé Purina, and numerous food processors. $93B annual ag output.

- Defense & Aerospace: Boeing Defense (St. Louis, 15,000+ employees), Whiteman AFB (B-2 bombers), Fort Leonard Wood. Defense contributes $25B+ to the state economy.

- Finance: Edward Jones (St. Louis, 50,000+ associates), Mastercard, Commerce Bancshares, and numerous regional banks. Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank anchors the financial sector.

- Technology: Kansas City's tech corridor along the Sprint Center and Crossroads district is growing. Cerner/Oracle Health (13,000+ employees), Garmin (Olathe, KS side), and growing startup ecosystem.

## Major Employers

| Employer | Industry | Approx. MO Employees |

| --- | --- | --- |

| BJC HealthCare | Healthcare | 30,000+ |

| State of Missouri | Government | 52,000+ |

| Walmart | Retail | 38,000+ |

| Boeing Defense | Aerospace/Defense | 15,000+ |

| Edward Jones | Finance | 12,000+ (HQ) |

| Washington University | Education | 16,000+ |

| Mercy Health | Healthcare | 20,000+ |

## Average Salary by Metro Area

| Metro Area | Avg Salary | Cost of Living Index |

| --- | --- | --- |

| Kansas City | $55,420 | 93 (below avg) |

| St. Louis | $56,180 | 90 |

| Springfield | $44,870 | 82 |

| Columbia | $47,640 | 90 |

| Jefferson City | $46,530 | 85 |

## Kansas City vs. St. Louis

Kansas City: Tech growth leader, healthcare IT, Google Fiber city, vibrant startup scene. Younger demographic shift. Rent: $1,050/month average.

St. Louis: Established corporate base, defense, healthcare research (Wash U), financial services. More affordable housing — median home $200,000. Rent: $950/month average.

## Growing Sectors

- Healthcare IT: Oracle Health (formerly Cerner) drives KC's healthtech ecosystem with 13,000+ employees and spawning spinoff startups.

- Agtech: St. Louis is the agtech capital — Bayer Crop Science, Monsanto legacy, and the 39 North innovation district attract investment.

- Geospatial Intelligence: The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's $1.7B campus in St. Louis creates a growing geospatial tech hub.

## Remote Work Availability

Missouri's affordable cost of living makes it attractive for remote workers. Both KC and STL have strong broadband infrastructure and growing coworking scenes. Google Fiber in Kansas City provides gigabit internet, a draw for tech remote workers.

## FAQ

### What is the minimum wage in Missouri?

$12.30/hour. Kansas City and St. Louis do not have separate local minimums due to state preemption. Major employers typically pay $14-16+ entry level.

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