Cost of hiring in St. Joseph, MO-KS
Customer Support Specialist is the largest of these 15 jobs in St. Joseph, with about 780 people1. Medians run from $33,210 a year for data entry specialists to $89,670 for project coordinators.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in St. Joseph
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | -2.2% | 50 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -4.3% | 780 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -7.4% | 320 | |
| Bookkeeper | -7.8% | 310 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -11.2% | 630 | |
| Office Manager | -12.1% | 360 | |
| Project Coordinator | -12.4% | 210 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -15.1% | 210 | |
| Recruiter | -15.5% | 250 | |
| Accountant | -19.4% | 340 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -19.7% | 30 | |
| Paralegal | -20.9% | 50 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -25.7% | 160 | |
| Executive Assistant | -28.5% | 100 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -32.5% | 120 |
The employer pays more than the wage: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, so a $42,840 median for customer support specialists, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $55,277 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
St. Joseph against the US
St. Joseph pays below the US median for all 15 roles. The gap is smallest for payroll specialists (-2.2%) and customer support specialists (-4.3%) and largest for sales development representatives (-32.5%). The middle gap across all 15 is -15.1%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for payroll specialists, #164 of 486 areas by median pay; its lowest is for data entry specialists, #383 of 394.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, St. Joseph has more administrative assistants (16.1% of these jobs here, against 10.9% nationally) and virtual receptionists (8.2% against 5.8%), and fewer sales development representatives (3.1% against 8.0%) and paralegals (1.3% against 2.5%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Ocala, FL is nearest, at -15.1%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | -14.9% | 17 | 11,540 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC | -15.0% | 16 | 14,720 |
| Ocala, FL | -15.1% | 17 | 10,870 |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | -15.1% (this area) | 15 | 3,920 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL | -15.3% | 13 | 5,600 |
| Youngstown-Warren, OH | -15.3% | 17 | 12,130 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, marketing specialists in St. Joseph span $35,710–$128,690, the widest band (3.6×); medical administrative assistants the narrowest, $35,620–$48,000. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 9 of 15 roles, sales development representatives most ($37,980–$148,840 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives, data entry specialists, marketing specialists and 6 more roles: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($57,360 against a $47,210 median for sales development representatives).
St. Joseph against Missouri
Against Missouri as a whole, St. Joseph pays more only for payroll specialists (+5.3%), and less for 13, most of all sales development representatives (-21.9%). It has the lowest median in Missouri for data entry specialists.
Other areas in Missouri
By jobs in these roles, St. Joseph is #11 of 12 areas in Missouri. The table shows the areas closest to it in size, from Kansas City to Cape Girardeau.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 118,710 | 17 |
| Springfield, MO | 20,430 | 16 |
| Southeast Missouri (Nonmetro) | 10,450 | 16 |
| Columbia, MO | 10,200 | 16 |
| Central Missouri (Nonmetro) | 10,000 | 17 |
| Jefferson City, MO | 8,300 | 16 |
| North Missouri (Nonmetro) | 7,120 | 15 |
| Joplin, MO-KS | 6,160 | 14 |
| Southwest Missouri (Nonmetro) | 5,240 | 16 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | 3,590 | 14 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in St. Joseph?
Of the 15 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $89,670 a year, about $115,703 with benefits; the lowest is Data Entry Specialist, $33,210.
Is hiring in St. Joseph cheaper than the US median?
Yes, for every role we track: all 15 medians are below the US figure, the furthest for sales development representatives (-32.5%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.