Chemists Salary
Chemists in Missouri make a median of $82,800 a year, or about $39.81 an hour. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $135K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.97), which stretches that salary to about $93,065 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,097/month, or 21% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Missouri. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $83K actually covers in Missouri, month by month
About chemists
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What this looks like in Missouri
Chemists pay in Missouri tracks closely to the national median, $83K locally vs. $91K nationwide, a 9% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,097/month, 20.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Missouri
Entry-level chemists (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $83K. Top earners bring in $135K or more, a $87K spread from bottom to top.
Chemists salary by metro in Missouri
6 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | $87K | +5% | 90 |
| St. Louis | $87K | +5% | 1,040 |
| Kansas City | $83K | +1% | 550 |
| St. Joseph | $78K | -6% | 100 |
| Joplin | $77K | -6% | 40 |
| Springfield | $76K | -8% | 30 |
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Track chemists salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Missouri numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a chemist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Missouri?
Yes — at the median salary of $83K, rent takes 20.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,097/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemists in Missouri?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemists typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,275/month. At HUD’s $1,097/month FMR, rent would take 33% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is chemist a high-paying job in Missouri?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $83K locally vs. $91K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Missouri compare to the national average for chemists?
Missouri pays $83K median vs. the U.S. average of $91K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $93K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do chemists make in Missouri?
The median is $82,800 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,240, and experienced chemists can clear $134,940. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $83K enough to live in Missouri?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,290/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,097/month, which eats 20.7% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a chemists salary go in Missouri?
Missouri has a Regional Price Parity of 88.97 (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 chemists salary is worth about $93,065 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chemists 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.