New data from the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development shows significant differences in average annual wages across the state, with several northwest Missouri counties ranking among the state's lowest-paid areas.
According to 2025 data, St. Louis City recorded Missouri's highest average annual wage across all private industries at more than $83,000. Ripley County, near Poplar Bluff, had the state's lowest average annual wage at just under $31,000.
In the KXCV-KRNW listening area, average annual wages ranged from about $33,000 in Worth County to more than $63,000 in Buchanan County. Nodaway and Livingston counties each reported average annual wages of more than $45,000.