Recommendation Systems Engineer.
St. Louis.
$143,000
median salary, 11% below the national average
$111,000 to $185,000. Last updated July 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Here is what Recommendation Systems Engineers actually make in St. Louis: $111,000 at the 25th percentile, $143,000 at the median, and $185,000 at the 75th. That is 11% below the national average. St. The number on your offer letter will depend on what you bring and how you ask.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $129,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$93,000
to $114,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$122,000
to $150,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$157,000
to $186,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$179,000
to $222,000
Salary trend.
+3% YoYTotal compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $30,000 to the total package.
Base
$143,000
Equity
$16,000
Bonus
$11,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $173,000
How St. Louis compares.
St. Louis, MO
$143,000
Cost of living: 10% below average
National Average
$160,000
St. Louis is $17,000 below
Recommendation Systems Engineer salary by city.
Salary by role in St. Louis.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for Recommendation Systems Engineer roles in St. Louis, here is what you are walking into. St. Louis offers one of the most affordable major metro areas in the country, with a strong base in healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing. The region's anchor employers include Boeing, Centene, and Washington University's medical campus. A growing biotech and plant sciences corridor centered on the Cortex Innovation District is attracting new investment and talent. Compensation for Recommendation Systems Engineers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack. Base salary carries most of the total compensation, with bonuses adding roughly 10% in a typical year. Within tech-sector Recommendation Systems Engineers specifically, employer tier (FAANG and frontier-AI labs vs mid-stage startups vs traditional enterprise) drives 66%+ variance across the compensation band.
Recommendation Systems Engineers typically progress Junior → Mid → Senior → Staff → Principal over 8 to 12 years, with the Staff+ levels carrying significant technical scope and cross-team influence. The director/VP track diverges around year 8 for those who choose management; IC staff-plus roles keep building technical depth. In St. Louis, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Total compensation for Recommendation Systems Engineers runs roughly $176K at median when factoring base + typical bonus (~10% of base). Base salary carries most of the compensation; benefits (healthcare, 401(k) match, PTO) add an estimated 15–25% in imputed value on top. At tech companies specifically, equity and sign-on are often the largest delta between offers — two roles with matching base can differ by $100K+ at total when equity is included. And on the tax side: missouri's top income tax rate is about 4.8%, and St. Louis City adds a 1% earnings tax. The low base cost of living means your after tax salary still stretches further than in most metros. When someone quotes you $143,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Emphasize your willingness to work in person at Cortex or the BJC campus. St. Louis employers offer higher packages for candidates who commit to the local innovation hubs. The range for Recommendation Systems Engineers in St. Louis runs from $111,000 to $185,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL), state pay-transparency job postings, and community submissions. COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A Machine Learning Engineer in St. Louis earns $142,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in St. Louis is Principal Quantitative Researcher at $318,000
Common questions.
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