Accountant salary in St. Joseph, MO-KS
Hiring an accountant costs less in St. Joseph than in Missouri or the country as a whole. The median is $67,480 a year1: 11.9% below the Missouri statewide median of $76,590 and 19.4% below the US median of $83,680. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#468 of 521). BLS counts about 340 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area St. Joseph, MO-KS. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in St. Joseph against Missouri and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | $44,180 | $67,480 | $114,520 | |
| Missouri | $49,290 | $76,590 | $128,300 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in St. Joseph earns $58,330–$84,790. The top tenth earns $114,520 or more, 2.6 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.6 times. The mean ($74,900) is 11% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $26,460 wide, against $39,210 across Missouri and $42,790 nationally: employers in St. Joseph pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an accountant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $44,180 | $3,682 | $21.24 | $57,006 |
| 25th percentile | $58,330 | $4,861 | $28.04 | $75,265 |
| Median | $67,480 | $5,623 | $32.44 | $87,071 |
| 75th percentile | $84,790 | $7,066 | $40.76 | $109,406 |
| 90th percentile | $114,520 | $9,543 | $55.06 | $147,768 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $17,310 over the median, the 25th only $9,150 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $22,335 a year in employer cost. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $83,680 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in St. Joseph, and the Missouri statewide median of $76,590 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in St. Joseph
At the $67,480 median, a local hire costs about $87,071 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $19,591 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for accountants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in St. Joseph
Of the 15 roles we track in St. Joseph, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($89,670); recruiters come next at $64,200.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +32.9% | 210 | |
| Accountant | this role | 340 | |
| Recruiter | -4.9% | 250 | |
| Office Manager | -9.5% | 360 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -13.3% | 160 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #10 of the 15 roles we track in St. Joseph (-19.4%), between recruiters (-15.5%) and data entry specialists (-19.7%). The typical role here is at -15.1%, so, measured against the US, accountants cost less in St. Joseph than the area's general pay level would suggest. Accountants hold 8.7% of the jobs in these 15 roles in St. Joseph, 10.1% across Missouri and 9.2% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Missouri
Across the 12 areas of Missouri with data for this job, the median runs from $62,490 in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area to $80,040 in Kansas City, a gap of $17,550 a year. Of the 10 areas in Missouri with more accountants than St. Joseph, 5 pay less, the largest of them Jefferson City, MO ($64,040), the Central Missouri nonmetro area ($66,030) and the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area ($64,090).
| Area | Median | vs St. Joseph | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia, MO | +8.3% | 930 | |
| Springfield, MO | +8.2% | 2,070 | |
| Joplin, MO-KS | +7.5% | 560 | |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | this area | 340 | |
| Central Missouri (Nonmetro) | -2.1% | 780 | |
| North Missouri (Nonmetro) | -2.7% | 570 | |
| Southeast Missouri (Nonmetro) | -5.0% | 770 |
St. Joseph against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, St. Joseph is #437 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a small market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Missouri, Florence-Muscle Shoals and Lafayette pay just above St. Joseph and Las Cruces and Dothan just below. All four are within $150 a year of the median in St. Joseph. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs St. Joseph | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battle Creek, MI | +12.7% | 340 | jobs | |
| Williamsport, PA | +3.6% | 340 | jobs | |
| Lafayette, LA | +0.2% | 1,100 | pay | |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | +0.2% | 460 | pay | |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | this area | 340 | ||
| Las Cruces, NM | -0.0% | 480 | pay | |
| Dothan, AL | -0.2% | 610 | pay | |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | -1.8% | 340 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in St. Joseph, MO-KS?
About $87,071 a year at the median, or $7,256 a month: $67,480 in pay plus about $19,591 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do accountants earn in St. Joseph?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $67,480 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $44,180, the 90th $114,520, and the middle half earned $58,330 to $84,790.
Is St. Joseph cheaper than the rest of Missouri for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $67,480 against $76,590 statewide. The next area up in Missouri is Joplin at $72,560, the next down the Central Missouri nonmetro area at $66,030.
How many accountants work in St. Joseph?
BLS counts about 340 in the May 2025 survey. 10 areas in Missouri have more; the closest in size is the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area, with about 390.
Does an accountant cost more than a recruiter in St. Joseph?
Yes: $3,280 a year more at the median. The medians are $67,480 and $64,200.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.