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News Release Information

25-978-KAN
Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (816) 285-7000

County Employment and Wages in Missouri — Fourth Quarter 2024

Employment rose in 4 of the 7 largest counties in Missouri from December 2023 to December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted that Greene County and St. Charles County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment, both up 1.0 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)


Among the seven largest counties in Missouri, employment was highest in St. Louis County (599,200) in December 2024. Together, the seven largest counties accounted for 60.2 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 369 largest counties comprise 73.3 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2023.)

Large county average weekly wages in the fourth quarter 2024

All seven large Missouri counties reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Boone County had the largest gain (+7.3 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Missouri’s other six large counties ranged from 3.5 percent to 1.0 percent.


Weekly wages in 2 of the 7 largest counties in Missouri were above the national average of $1,507: St. Louis City ($1,522) and St. Louis County ($1,519). Wage levels in the five other large counties ranged from $1,460 to $1,126.

Smaller county average weekly wages in the fourth quarter of 2024

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 108 small counties in Missouri, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2023. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all 108 smaller counties were below the national average. Buchanan County reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,165), followed by Platte County ($1,153). Ripley County reported the lowest average weekly wage ($632) in the state.

Among all 115 Missouri counties, 20 reported average weekly wages of less than $800, 27 registered wages from $800 to $874, 34 had wages from $875 to $949, 15 had wages from $950 to $1,024, and 19 had average weekly wages of $1,025 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)

Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in Missouri, fourth quarter 2024

(U.S. average = $1,507)

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.

Nationwide coverage of the largest counties is published in the County Employment and Wages news release. Additional information about quarterly employment and wages data is available in the news release Technical Note and from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

The County Employment and Wages release for the first quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.

QCEW Moves to One Data Release Beginning with Fourth Quarter 2024 Publication

The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) is streamlining its release process. Beginning with the fourth quarter 2024 national release on June 4, QCEW will publish the national County Employment and Wages news release on the same date as the QCEW full data update. Revised news release dates are available online.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the seven largest counties in Missouri, fourth quarter 2024
Area Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
December 2024
(thousands)
Percent change,
December
2023–24 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
Fourth quarter
2024 ($)
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
fourth quarter
2023–24 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

12,265.4 156,202.9 0.8 -- 1,507 -- 5.0 --

Missouri

251.5 2,922.2 0.5 -- 1,268 35 3.8 39

Boone

5.3 100.1 0.8 144 1,169 311 7.3 19

Clay

6.9 112.3 -0.6 323 1,254 242 1.0 352

Greene

11.3 181.3 1.0 106 1,126 332 2.9 305

Jackson

25.9 378.0 0.8 144 1,460 107 3.4 256

St. Charles

11.2 165.5 1.0 106 1,160 318 3.4 256

St. Louis

46.8 599.2 -0.1 280 1,519 82 3.4 256

St. Louis City

15.8 221.6 0.0 257 1,522 81 3.5 245

(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications.
(3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in Missouri, fourth quarter 2024
Area Establishments Employment December 2024 Average weekly wage ($) (1)

United States (2)

12,265,395 156,202,874 1,507

Missouri

251,465 2,922,182 1,268

Adair

777 9,532 853

Andrew

497 2,911 804

Atchison

228 1,711 896

Audrain

642 8,061 945

Barry

978 13,157 914

Barton

340 3,484 865

Bates

474 3,757 863

Benton

570 3,724 750

Bollinger

249 1,814 844

Boone

5,273 100,090 1,169

Buchanan

2,671 46,425 1,165

Butler

1,578 18,218 919

Caldwell

247 1,915 936

Callaway

958 15,045 1,090

Camden

1,755 16,619 964

Cape Girardeau

2,874 42,143 1,035

Carroll

328 2,752 881

Carter

253 1,459 717

Cass

2,629 31,287 962

Cedar

401 3,557 828

Chariton

269 1,882 872

Christian

2,463 21,093 924

Clark

179 1,439 711

Clay

6,875 112,285 1,254

Clinton

496 4,502 986

Cole

2,555 54,671 1,117

Cooper

495 4,962 814

Crawford

688 6,631 946

Dade

189 1,683 769

Dallas

452 2,799 729

Daviess

300 1,937 825

De Kalb

282 2,646 905

Dent

578 3,782 842

Douglas

287 2,581 742

Dunklin

1,737 9,192 738

Franklin

3,093 39,897 1,038

Gasconade

542 5,110 784

Gentry

239 2,270 890

Greene

11,347 181,318 1,126

Grundy

289 2,927 814

Harrison

280 2,550 832

Henry

717 8,297 971

Hickory

207 1,488 708

Holt

183 1,332 928

Howard

237 2,461 936

Howell

1,425 15,653 882

Iron

606 3,465 933

Jackson

25,894 377,979 1,460

Jasper

3,589 59,851 1,013

Jefferson

4,749 50,159 1,003

Johnson

1,310 16,480 916

Knox

112 910 865

Laclede

892 13,387 929

Lafayette

953 8,879 884

Lawrence

966 9,088 933

Lewis

246 2,412 888

Lincoln

1,238 13,113 1,083

Linn

396 4,131 888

Livingston

478 6,220 887

McDonald

475 5,621 877

Macon

439 4,957 861

Madison

352 3,589 811

Maries

186 1,397 798

Marion

1,009 13,147 1,030

Mercer

126 838 856

Miller

777 7,817 878

Mississippi

407 3,007 871

Moniteau

367 4,143 976

Monroe

257 1,815 838

Montgomery

341 3,267 988

Morgan

643 4,686 770

New Madrid

927 7,613 892

Newton

1,552 21,484 1,008

Nodaway

632 8,605 872

Oregon

268 2,637 711

Osage

275 4,384 1,046

Ozark

263 1,481 679

Pemiscot

934 4,806 820

Perry

589 9,549 1,028

Pettis

1,356 19,754 962

Phelps

1,320 19,446 1,010

Pike

525 5,535 898

Platte

3,184 48,244 1,153

Polk

822 9,595 906

Pulaski

892 13,439 931

Putnam

140 1,009 831

Ralls

277 3,595 1,039

Randolph

670 9,382 904

Ray

470 4,053 942

Reynolds

275 1,718 953

Ripley

692 2,907 632

St. Charles

11,225 165,526 1,160

St. Clair

230 1,740 811

St. Francois

1,918 23,329 869

St. Louis

46,824 599,179 1,519

Ste. Genevieve

510 6,183 1,114

Saline

663 9,030 895

Schuyler

98 829 821

Scotland

154 1,289 862

Scott

1,333 16,259 995

Shannon

252 1,556 736

Shelby

203 1,825 922

Stoddard

878 10,096 918

Stone

889 7,171 771

Sullivan

156 2,330 977

Taney

2,193 28,582 839

Texas

623 5,954 824

Vernon

747 6,803 906

Warren

778 8,368 1,014

Washington

787 5,092 776

Wayne

392 2,259 747

Webster

906 8,504 930

Worth

70 370 673

Wright

591 4,689 767

St. Louis City

15,789 221,553 1,522

(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, fourth quarter 2024
State Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
December 2024
(thousands)
Percent change,
December
2023–24
Fourth quarter
2024 ($)
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
fourth quarter
2023–24
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

12,265.4 156,202.9 0.8 1,507 -- 5.0 --

Alabama

162.3 2,122.2 0.9 1,255 36 4.1 32

Alaska

25.3 317.4 1.7 1,430 16 4.2 30

Arizona

225.5 3,272.3 1.2 1,406 19 6.4 6

Arkansas

106.1 1,312.6 1.1 1,153 50 5.9 10

California

1,903.9 18,230.8 0.5 1,872 5 6.5 5

Colorado

236.6 2,911.3 -0.3 1,594 8 5.1 16

Connecticut

150.7 1,700.7 0.5 1,716 6 5.2 15

Delaware

45.2 480.6 1.5 1,437 15 4.5 24

District of Columbia

52.4 757.2 -0.5 2,495 1 4.7 21

Florida

914.8 9,978.9 0.9 1,405 20 5.7 13

Georgia

396.6 4,916.6 0.8 1,391 21 4.7 21

Hawaii

61.4 651.3 1.1 1,345 27 4.3 26

Idaho

103.9 859.1 0.5 1,232 39 8.3 3

Illinois

411.2 6,089.1 0.5 1,538 12 4.1 32

Indiana

194.6 3,201.9 0.4 1,222 44 4.4 25

Iowa

112.5 1,559.3 -0.6 1,237 38 3.2 50

Kansas

103.5 1,445.6 0.9 1,218 45 4.3 26

Kentucky

159.0 2,008.4 0.2 1,189 46 3.8 39

Louisiana

156.8 1,936.3 1.1 1,228 40 2.8 51

Maine

66.2 643.9 0.9 1,278 33 5.9 10

Maryland

197.0 2,779.9 1.6 1,570 10 4.2 30

Massachusetts

288.5 3,646.1 -0.4 1,890 3 4.7 21

Michigan

303.4 4,406.8 -0.1 1,370 23 4.1 32

Minnesota

215.1 2,945.4 1.1 1,452 14 3.7 42

Mississippi

90.9 1,174.3 0.2 1,023 51 4.1 32

Missouri

251.5 2,922.2 0.5 1,268 35 3.8 39

Montana

65.8 512.8 0.5 1,254 37 6.4 6

Nebraska

78.0 1,024.8 0.5 1,227 41 3.5 45

Nevada

108.1 1,561.5 0.4 1,350 25 6.1 9

New Hampshire

68.7 692.4 0.4 1,577 9 3.3 49

New Jersey

339.1 4,332.2 0.9 1,629 7 3.4 47

New Mexico

68.9 873.8 0.3 1,223 42 5.0 17

New York

711.5 9,777.3 1.5 1,881 4 5.4 14

North Carolina

384.0 4,941.9 0.5 1,358 24 5.8 12

North Dakota

36.9 431.1 0.9 1,315 30 3.8 39

Ohio

346.3 5,551.7 0.6 1,305 32 4.8 20

Oklahoma

129.7 1,713.2 0.8 1,168 48 4.1 32

Oregon

190.9 1,989.6 0.0 1,424 17 6.6 4

Pennsylvania

395.1 6,076.5 0.8 1,414 18 4.0 37

Rhode Island

48.9 500.8 1.6 1,348 26 3.5 45

South Carolina

195.3 2,310.1 1.4 1,223 42 6.2 8

South Dakota

40.6 459.7 0.9 1,181 47 3.9 38

Tennessee

232.2 3,320.3 0.9 1,372 22 5.0 17

Texas

846.0 14,129.7 1.5 1,488 13 4.3 26

Utah

142.6 1,735.8 1.3 1,333 29 3.7 42

Vermont

33.7 311.2 0.0 1,311 31 4.9 19

Virginia

320.9 4,142.6 1.2 1,546 11 4.3 26

Washington

241.5 3,612.0 0.8 1,897 2 8.7 2

West Virginia

62.7 701.4 0.2 1,159 49 3.4 47

Wisconsin

212.2 2,950.8 0.4 1,278 33 3.6 44

Wyoming

31.1 279.4 0.5 1,340 28 12.4 1

Puerto Rico

51.6 975.4 -0.2 718 (3) 4.5 (3)

Virgin Islands

3.0 33.1 -8.6 1,046 (3) 1.8 (3)

(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(3) Data not included in the national ranking.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, June 11, 2025