Counter and Rental Clerks Salary
Counter and Rental Clerks in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL make a median of $38,870 a year, or about $18.69 an hour. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $58K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 86.08), which stretches that salary to about $45,156 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $992/month, about 37.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $39K get you in Cape Girardeau?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cape Girardeau’s Regional Price Parity (86.08). 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 counter and rental clerks
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What this looks like in Cape Girardeau
Counter and rental clerks pay in Cape Girardeau tracks closely to the national median, $39K locally vs. $41K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $992/month, which is 36.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 86.08 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for counter and rental clerks in metros near Cape Girardeau, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | $38K | $40K |
| Kansas City | $40K | $43K |
| Springfield | $37K | $42K |
| Columbia | $35K | $39K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
Entry-level counter and rental clerks (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $58K or more, a $28K spread from bottom to top.
Counter and Rental Clerks pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Counter and Rental Clerks salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $54K | +30% | 480 |
| New Jersey | $49K | +18% | 9,540 |
| Vermont | $48K | +17% | 750 |
| Washington | $48K | +16% | 14,600 |
| New Hampshire | $47K | +14% | 1,590 |
| Maine | $47K | +13% | 1,180 |
| Rhode Island | $46K | +12% | 840 |
| New York | $46K | +12% | 18,320 |
| Colorado | $46K | +12% | 13,900 |
| Wisconsin | $46K | +11% | 6,600 |
| Virginia | $46K | +10% | 12,910 |
| California | $45K | +9% | 67,770 |
| Minnesota | $45K | +9% | 4,710 |
| North Dakota | $45K | +8% | 1,460 |
| Hawaii | $44K | +8% | 1,700 |
| Massachusetts | $44K | +7% | 8,220 |
| Arizona | $44K | +6% | 11,080 |
| Montana | $44K | +6% | 1,490 |
| Wyoming | $44K | +6% | 900 |
| Oregon | $44K | +6% | 5,450 |
| Alaska | $43K | +5% | 660 |
| Pennsylvania | $43K | +4% | 10,780 |
| Maryland | $39K | -4% | 4,060 |
| Connecticut | $39K | -4% | 3,060 |
| Idaho | $39K | -5% | 2,070 |
| Michigan | $39K | -5% | 13,410 |
| Nevada | $39K | -5% | 2,460 |
| Kansas | $39K | -5% | 2,990 |
| Kentucky | $39K | -6% | 2,960 |
| Iowa | $39K | -6% | 1,900 |
| Delaware | $39K | -7% | 870 |
| Ohio | $39K | -7% | 9,400 |
| Georgia | $39K | -7% | 11,490 |
| North Carolina | $38K | -7% | 17,580 |
| Illinois | $38K | -8% | 8,440 |
| Tennessee | $38K | -8% | 7,640 |
| Missouri | $38K | -8% | 4,880 |
| Florida | $38K | -8% | 27,160 |
| Utah | $38K | -9% | 3,280 |
| South Carolina | $37K | -10% | 6,280 |
| Texas | $37K | -10% | 36,600 |
| Oklahoma | $37K | -10% | 3,920 |
| Indiana | $37K | -11% | 7,990 |
| Nebraska | $36K | -12% | 3,960 |
| South Dakota | $36K | -12% | 690 |
| Mississippi | $36K | -12% | 2,820 |
| New Mexico | $36K | -14% | 2,360 |
| Alabama | $35K | -15% | 8,010 |
| Arkansas | $35K | -15% | 3,560 |
| Louisiana | $35K | -15% | 3,740 |
| West Virginia | $35K | -16% | 2,300 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track counter and rental clerks salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Cape Girardeau numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a counter and rental clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Cape Girardeau?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 36.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $992/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for counter and rental clerks in Cape Girardeau?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new counter and rental clerks typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,802/month. At HUD’s $992/month FMR, rent would take 55% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is counter and rental clerk a high-paying job in Cape Girardeau?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $39K locally vs. $41K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Cape Girardeau compare to the national average for counter and rental clerks?
Cape Girardeau pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $41K — that’s -6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 86.08), the purchasing-power equivalent is $45K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do counter and rental clerks make in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL?
The median is $38,870 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,040, and experienced counter and rental clerks can clear $58,490. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Cape Girardeau?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,685/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $992/month, which eats 36.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a counter and rental clerks salary go in Cape Girardeau?
Cape Girardeau has a Regional Price Parity of 86.08 (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 counter and rental clerks salary is worth about $45,156 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do counter and rental clerks 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.