Bridge and Lock Tenders Salary
In St. Louis, MO-IL, bridge and lock tenders earn $74,480 at the median, or about $35.81 an hour. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $78K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.09), that's roughly $78,326 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,218/month, or 24.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $74K get you in St. Louis?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by St. Louis’s Regional Price Parity (95.09). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About bridge and lock tenders
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What this looks like in St. Louis
St. Louis sits well above the national pay line for bridge and lock tenders, local pay runs about 29% higher than the U.S. median of $58K. Rent runs $1,218/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 25.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 95.09) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for bridge and lock tenders in metros near St. Louis, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $73K | $71K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $71K | $80K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, St. Louis, MO-IL
Entry-level bridge and lock tenders (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $74K. Top earners bring in $78K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Bridge and Lock Tenders pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Bridge and Lock Tenders salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $78K | +35% | 50 |
| Mississippi | $75K | +30% | 50 |
| Minnesota | $74K | +29% | 60 |
| Missouri | $74K | +28% | 40 |
| California | $72K | +25% | 80 |
| Illinois | $71K | +23% | 290 |
| Iowa | $71K | +23% | 50 |
| Pennsylvania | $69K | +19% | 110 |
| Alabama | $67K | +16% | 70 |
| West Virginia | $65K | +13% | 60 |
| Indiana | $61K | +5% | 60 |
| Tennessee | $60K | +5% | 60 |
| Ohio | $58K | +1% | 110 |
| Kentucky | $58K | +1% | 100 |
| Wisconsin | $57K | -1% | 110 |
| Massachusetts | $56K | -3% | 40 |
| New York | $52K | -11% | 210 |
| Michigan | $51K | -12% | 130 |
| Virginia | $47K | -18% | 40 |
| Texas | $46K | -21% | 70 |
| North Carolina | $41K | -28% | 50 |
| Louisiana | $39K | -32% | 370 |
| Florida | $28K | -51% | 470 |
Showing 1–10 of 23 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track bridge and lock tenders salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when St. Louis numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a bridge and lock tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in St. Louis?
Yes — at the median salary of $74K, rent takes 25.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,218/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for bridge and lock tenders in St. Louis?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bridge and lock tenders typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,575/month. At HUD’s $1,218/month FMR, rent would take 34% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is bridge and lock tender a high-paying job in St. Louis?
Local pay is 29% above the national median — $74K here vs. $58K nationally.
How does St. Louis compare to the national average for bridge and lock tenders?
St. Louis pays $74K median vs. the U.S. average of $58K — that’s +29%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $78K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do bridge and lock tenders make in St. Louis, MO-IL?
The median is $74,480 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $59,590, and experienced bridge and lock tenders can clear $78,460. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $74K enough to live in St. Louis?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,835/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,218/month, which eats 25.2% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a bridge and lock tenders salary go in St. Louis?
St. Louis has a Regional Price Parity of 95.09 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median bridge and lock tenders salary is worth about $78,326 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do bridge and lock tenders get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.