Salaries in Missouri.
2 metro areas. 3445 roles.
Average cost-of-living index: 0.92x national average. Last updated April 2026.
2 cities tracked3445 roles
Highest Paying
$339,000
Principal AI Research Scientist
Median Role
$288,000
Chief AI Officer
Entry Level
$282,000
Senior Head of Security
Salary data sourced from SEC filings, H-1B Labor Condition Applications (DOL), Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, and aggregated job postings across 50+ platforms. Ranges reflect 25th to 75th percentile for full-time positions. Cost-of-living adjustments use Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (2025 index). Last updated April 2026.
Missouri has 2 major metro areas tracked in our salary database, with an average cost-of-living index of 0.92x the national average. The highest-paying role across the state is Principal AI Research Scientist at $339,000 in Kansas City. The median role pays $288,000.
Top 30 salaries in Missouri
| # | Role | Median | Top City | Range |
|---|
| 1 | Principal AI Research Scientist | $339,000 | Kansas City | $264,000 – $440,000 |
| 2 | Principal Quantitative Researcher | $319,000 | Kansas City | $249,000 – $415,000 |
| 3 | Technical Fellow | $316,000 | Kansas City | $246,000 – $410,000 |
| 4 | Senior VP of Product | $310,000 | Kansas City | $242,000 – $403,000 |
| 5 | Principal AI Safety Engineer | $307,000 | Kansas City | $240,000 – $399,000 |
| 6 | Distinguished Engineer | $304,000 | Kansas City | $230,000 – $387,000 |
| 7 | Chief Security Officer | $304,000 | Kansas City | $237,000 – $395,000 |
| 8 | Principal AI Agent Architect | $303,000 | St. Louis | $237,000 – $394,000 |
| 9 | Principal Quantitative Developer | $302,000 | Kansas City | $236,000 – $393,000 |
| 10 | Chief Strategy Officer | $300,000 | Kansas City | $234,000 – $390,000 |
| 11 | Principal AI Compiler Engineer | $299,000 | Kansas City | $233,000 – $389,000 |
| 12 | Senior VP of Security | $297,000 | Kansas City | $232,000 – $387,000 |
| 13 | Senior VP of Design | $297,000 | Kansas City | $232,000 – $386,000 |
| 14 | Chief Science Officer | $291,000 | Kansas City | $227,000 – $379,000 |
| 15 | SVP of Technology | $289,000 | St. Louis | $226,000 – $376,000 |
| 16 | Chief AI Officer | $288,000 | Kansas City | $214,000 – $372,000 |
| 17 | Staff AI Research Scientist | $288,000 | Kansas City | $225,000 – $375,000 |
| 18 | Chief Machine Learning Officer | $287,000 | Kansas City | $224,000 – $374,000 |
| 19 | Principal AI Agent Engineer | $286,000 | St. Louis | $224,000 – $373,000 |
| 20 | SVP of Engineering | $285,000 | Kansas City | $223,000 – $371,000 |
| 21 | Staff Quantitative Researcher | $285,000 | Kansas City | $223,000 – $371,000 |
| 22 | Chief Design Officer | $285,000 | Kansas City | $222,000 – $371,000 |
| 23 | SVP of Product | $285,000 | Kansas City | $223,000 – $371,000 |
| 24 | SVP of Data | $285,000 | Kansas City | $222,000 – $371,000 |
| 25 | Principal Deep Learning Engineer | $284,000 | Kansas City | $222,000 – $370,000 |
| 26 | Chief Commercial Officer | $283,000 | Kansas City | $220,000 – $368,000 |
| 27 | L7 Software Engineer | $283,000 | Kansas City | $221,000 – $367,000 |
| 28 | Principal Applied Scientist | $282,000 | Kansas City | $220,000 – $366,000 |
| 29 | CTO | $282,000 | Kansas City | $220,000 – $366,000 |
| 30 | Senior Head of Security | $282,000 | St. Louis | $220,000 – $366,000 |
Tax considerations in Missouri
Missouri's top income tax rate is about 4.8%, and Kansas City adds a 1% earnings tax. Workers living in Kansas face that state's rates instead. Choose your side of the state line carefully.
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.
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