HR Assistant salary in St. Louis, MO-IL
For this job St. Louis sits right at the Missouri figure, with a median of $47,960 a year1. That is about level with the Missouri statewide median of $47,960, and 5.2% below the US median of $50,610. Nationally it ranks #205 of 384 areas. It is the largest market for the job in Missouri: about 490 people.
BLS occupation 43-4161, area St. Louis, MO-IL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in St. Louis against Missouri and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $36,250 | $47,960 | $66,950 | |
| Missouri | $37,740 | $47,960 | $65,090 | |
| United States | $37,340 | $50,610 | $68,280 |
HR assistants at the 90th percentile earn $66,950, 1.8 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 1.8. The middle half of HR assistants in St. Louis earns $42,830–$56,440. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $13,610 wide, against $13,940 across Missouri and $15,770 nationally: employers in St. Louis pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an HR assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,250 | $3,021 | $17.43 | $46,774 |
| 25th percentile | $42,830 | $3,569 | $20.59 | $55,265 |
| Median | $47,960 | $3,997 | $23.06 | $61,884 |
| 75th percentile | $56,440 | $4,703 | $27.13 | $72,826 |
| 90th percentile | $66,950 | $5,579 | $32.19 | $86,387 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $8,480 over the median, the 25th only $5,130 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $10,942 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 $50,610 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in St. Louis, and the Missouri statewide median of $47,960 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in St. Louis
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $13,924 to the $47,960 median and brings it to $61,884 a year. 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 HR assistants 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. Louis
Of the 17 roles we track in St. Louis, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($49,970) and administrative assistants ($46,200). Project Coordinator is the highest at $100,510.
| Role | Median | vs HR assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +23.4% | 1,530 | |
| Bookkeeper | +4.2% | 9,950 | |
| HR Assistant | this role | 490 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -3.7% | 15,000 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -4.5% | 23,760 |
Measured against the US median, HR assistants rank #11 of the 17 roles we track in St. Louis (-5.2%), between virtual receptionists (-4.1%) and data entry specialists (-5.3%). The typical role here is at -2.8%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. HR assistants hold 0.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in St. Louis, 0.4% across Missouri and 0.6% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Missouri
Across the 8 areas of Missouri with data for this job, the median runs from $40,090 in Springfield to $52,140 in Kansas City, a gap of $12,050 a year. No other area in Missouri has as many HR assistants, and 5 of the other 7 pay less.
| Area | Median | vs St. Louis | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, MO-KS | +8.7% | 400 | |
| Columbia, MO | +2.3% | 50 | |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | this area | 490 | |
| Central Missouri (Nonmetro) | -1.8% | 80 | |
| Southwest Missouri (Nonmetro) | -3.1% | 30 | |
| Jefferson City, MO | -5.8% | 70 | |
| Southeast Missouri (Nonmetro) | -7.7% | 40 |
St. Louis against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, St. Louis is #40 of 382 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Missouri, Grand Rapids-Wyoming and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake pay just above St. Louis and Bangor and Little Rock-North Little Rock just below. All four are within $40 a year of the median in St. Louis. Of the three markets with about as many HR assistants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs St. Louis | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | +2.0% | 510 | jobs | |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | +0.1% | 500 | pay | |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | +0.0% | 220 | pay | |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | this area | 490 | ||
| Bangor, ME | -0.1% | 70 | pay | |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR | -0.1% | 170 | pay | |
| Pittsburgh, PA | -4.3% | 480 | jobs | |
| Knoxville, TN | -6.1% | 500 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an HR assistant in St. Louis, MO-IL?
About $61,884 a year at the median, or $5,157 a month: $47,960 in pay plus about $13,924 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do HR assistants earn in St. Louis?
The median was $47,960 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $36,250, the 90th $66,950, and the middle half earned $42,830 to $56,440.
Is St. Louis cheaper than the rest of Missouri for HR assistants?
About the same: a median of $47,960 against $47,960 statewide. The next area up in Missouri is Columbia at $49,070, the next down the Central Missouri nonmetro area at $47,120.
How many HR assistants work in St. Louis?
BLS counts about 490 in the May 2025 survey. No other area in Missouri has as many.
Does an HR assistant cost more than an administrative assistant in St. Louis?
Yes: $1,760 a year more at the median. The medians are $47,960 and $46,200.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-4161: 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.