Word Processors and Typists Salary
In St. Louis, MO-IL, word processors and typists earn $37,440 at the median, or about $18 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $55K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.09), that's roughly $39,373 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,218/month, about 47.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $37K 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 word processors and typists
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What this looks like in St. Louis
Pay for word processors and typists in St. Louis runs about 24% below the U.S. median of $49K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,218/month, which is 46.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.09) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for word processors and typistss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for word processors and typists in metros near St. Louis, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferson City | $35K | $40K |
| Kansas City | $54K | $59K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $52K | $51K |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $45K | $49K |
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 word processors and typists (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $55K or more, a $18K spread from bottom to top.
Word Processors and Typists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Word Processors and Typists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $58K | +17% | 60 |
| California | $56K | +14% | 10,270 |
| Massachusetts | $54K | +9% | 350 |
| Oregon | $52K | +6% | 40 |
| Minnesota | $52K | +5% | 210 |
| Idaho | $50K | +1% | 60 |
| Tennessee | $50K | +1% | 90 |
| New Jersey | $50K | +0% | 3,560 |
| Connecticut | $49K | -0% | 170 |
| District of Columbia | $49K | -0% | 120 |
| Ohio | $49K | -1% | 310 |
| Wisconsin | $49K | -2% | 180 |
| New York | $48K | -2% | 12,340 |
| Michigan | $48K | -3% | 520 |
| Texas | $48K | -3% | 290 |
| Maryland | $47K | -4% | 210 |
| Nebraska | $47K | -4% | 80 |
| Rhode Island | $47K | -5% | 120 |
| Alabama | $47K | -5% | 70 |
| New Mexico | $46K | -6% | 60 |
| Virginia | $46K | -6% | 290 |
| Washington | $46K | -6% | 140 |
| Illinois | $45K | -8% | 490 |
| Delaware | $45K | -8% | 50 |
| Oklahoma | $44K | -11% | 40 |
| Iowa | $43K | -12% | 360 |
| Arkansas | $43K | -13% | 40 |
| South Carolina | $43K | -13% | 30 |
| Arizona | $42K | -15% | N/A |
| Nevada | $41K | -16% | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $41K | -17% | 1,170 |
| Hawaii | $40K | -19% | 270 |
| Indiana | $40K | -20% | 120 |
| Missouri | $37K | -24% | 260 |
| West Virginia | $36K | -27% | 80 |
| Florida | $36K | -27% | 1,000 |
| Georgia | $31K | -36% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 37 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track word processors and typists 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 word processors and typist afford a 2BR apartment alone in St. Louis?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 46.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,218/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 word processors and typists in St. Louis?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new word processors and typists typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,246/month. At HUD’s $1,218/month FMR, rent would take 54% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is word processors and typist a high-paying job in St. Louis?
Local pay runs 24% below the national median — $37K here vs. $49K nationally.
How does St. Louis compare to the national average for word processors and typists?
St. Louis pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s -24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $39K — below the national median.
How much do word processors and typists make in St. Louis, MO-IL?
The median is $37,440 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,440, and experienced word processors and typists can clear $55,050. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in St. Louis?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,595/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,218/month, which eats 46.9% 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 word processors and typists 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 word processors and typists salary is worth about $39,373 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do word processors and typists 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.