Economists Salary
In St. Louis, MO-IL, economists earn $132,630 at the median, or about $63.77 an hour. The range runs from $76K at the entry level to $297K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.09), that's roughly $139,478 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,218/month, or 15.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $133K 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 economists
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What this looks like in St. Louis
Economists pay in St. Louis tracks closely to the national median, $133K locally vs. $125K nationwide, a 6% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,218/month, 15.2% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. 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 economists in metros near St. Louis, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | $129K | $139K |
| Lincoln | $70K | $77K |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $96K | $105K |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway | $85K | $95K |
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 economists (10th percentile) start around $76K. Mid-career wages sit at $133K. Top earners bring in $297K or more, a $221K spread from bottom to top.
Economists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Economists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $168K | +34% | 3,000 |
| New Jersey | $168K | +34% | 280 |
| Delaware | $159K | +28% | 70 |
| Maryland | $145K | +16% | 1,130 |
| Kansas | $139K | +11% | 80 |
| Virginia | $138K | +10% | 950 |
| New York | $137K | +10% | 910 |
| North Carolina | $136K | +9% | 290 |
| Idaho | $131K | +5% | 130 |
| Alabama | $130K | +4% | 40 |
| Georgia | $123K | -2% | 260 |
| Oregon | $122K | -2% | 320 |
| Texas | $121K | -3% | 560 |
| Colorado | $121K | -3% | 240 |
| Ohio | $120K | -4% | 140 |
| California | $119K | -4% | 860 |
| Tennessee | $118K | -6% | 80 |
| Missouri | $117K | -6% | 280 |
| Pennsylvania | $115K | -8% | 560 |
| Alaska | $111K | -11% | 80 |
| Washington | $109K | -12% | 450 |
| Massachusetts | $106K | -15% | 1,030 |
| Michigan | $106K | -15% | 320 |
| Minnesota | $105K | -16% | 500 |
| Florida | $102K | -18% | 500 |
| Connecticut | $101K | -19% | 210 |
| Iowa | $96K | -23% | 70 |
| Arkansas | $92K | -27% | 50 |
| Maine | $91K | -27% | 70 |
| Nevada | $91K | -27% | 70 |
| Oklahoma | $90K | -28% | 80 |
| Montana | $89K | -28% | 90 |
| New Hampshire | $86K | -31% | 50 |
| Wisconsin | $84K | -33% | 280 |
| Hawaii | $83K | -33% | 50 |
| Indiana | $81K | -35% | 80 |
| Arizona | $80K | -36% | 340 |
| Nebraska | $76K | -39% | 90 |
| Louisiana | $73K | -41% | 140 |
| Kentucky | $71K | -43% | 100 |
Showing 1–10 of 40 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track economists 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 economist afford a 2BR apartment alone in St. Louis?
Yes — at the median salary of $133K, rent takes 15.2% 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 economists in St. Louis?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new economists typically earn — is $76K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,548/month. At HUD’s $1,218/month FMR, rent would take 27% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is economist a high-paying job in St. Louis?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $133K locally vs. $125K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does St. Louis compare to the national average for economists?
St. Louis pays $133K median vs. the U.S. average of $125K — that’s +6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $139K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do economists make in St. Louis, MO-IL?
The median is $132,630 a year, that works out to about $64 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $75,800, and experienced economists can clear $296,630. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $133K enough to live in St. Louis?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,988/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,218/month, which eats 15.2% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a economists 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 economists salary is worth about $139,478 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do economists 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.