KANSAS CITY – The Mountain-Plains Information Office of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics today released County Employment and Wages in Missouri – First Quarter 2025.
The report shows national rankings of wage levels, wage growth, and employment changes for the seven large counties in Missouri compared to the 372 largest counties in the United States.
The report also provides employment and wage levels for the 108 counties in Missouri with employment levels below 75,000.
Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted the following highlights:
Employment rose in 4 of the 7 largest counties in Missouri from March 2024 to March 2025. Boone County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment, up 1.2%.
All seven large Missouri counties reported average weekly wage increases over the year. St. Louis City had the largest increase (+5.3%). Over-the-year wage gains for Missouri’s other six large counties ranged from 5.2% to 0.1%.
The weekly wage in 1 of the 7 largest counties in Missouri was above the national average of $1,589. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,703 in St. Louis City to $1,114 in Greene County.
Wage levels in all 108 smaller counties were below the national average. Ste. Genevieve reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,244) among the 108 smaller counties. Ripley reported the lowest average weekly wage ($608) in the state. (See map 1.)
