SOC 39-9032 · St. Louis, MO-IL metro

Recreation Workers Salary in St. Louis, MO

The average salary for recreation workers in St. Louis, Missouri is $36,020 a year ($17.32 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $33,750: half of the 2,740 people in this job in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 6% less than the U.S. average for this job ($38,520).

$36,020average per year

$17.32 / hourMedian $33,750Take-home ≈ $30,006

  • $29K10th
  • $31K25th
  • $34KMedian
  • $38K75th
  • $47K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

2,740people in this job
-6%vs U.S. average
#6 of 8Missouri metros
95cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Recreation Workers pay range in St. Louis

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,150 a year or less, while the top 10% make $46,700 or more. The middle half of recreation workers in St. Louis earn between $31,200 and $37,920.

  • $29K10th
  • $31K25th
  • $34KMedian
  • $38K75th
  • $47K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$36,020$3,002$17.32
Median$33,750$2,812$16.23
Entry level (25th percentile)$31,200$2,600$15.00
Experienced (75th percentile)$37,920$3,160$18.23

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Recreation Workers pay in St. Louis vs. Missouri and the U.S.

Recreation workers in St. Louis earn about the same as the Missouri average ($36,210) and 6% less than the U.S. average ($38,520). At the median the gap is -8% against the U.S. median of $36,560.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
St. Louis$36,020$33,750$29,150$46,7002,740
Missouri$36,210$34,320$28,600$46,8305,380
United States$38,520$36,560$27,600$50,410331,490

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Recreation Workers salary after taxes in St. Louis

On the average salary of $36,020, a single filer in St. Louis takes home about $30,006 a year, or $2,501 a month and $1,154 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.

The St. Louis, MO-IL metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in MO$30,006$2,501
Working in IL$29,480$2,457

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Includes St. Louis's local income tax (1%); the 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.

Missouri paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is St. Louis a good place for recreation workers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the St. Louis area are 5% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 95.1), so the average $36,020 buys what about $37,881 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in St. Louis ($49,990). A typical home costs $276,878, or 7.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $36,020 is worth in another city

Recreation Workers salary in other Missouri cities

St. Louis ranks 6th of 8 Missouri metro areas for this job; Columbia pays the most ($38,630).

All Recreation Workers salaries in Missouri

Highest-paying cities for recreation workers

Fairbanks, AK pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($61,070).

Recreation Workers salary by city

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Recreation Workers salary in St. Louis: questions

How much do recreation workers make an hour in St. Louis?

$17.32 an hour on average, and $16.23 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level recreation workers salary in St. Louis?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,150 a year and the 25th percentile is $31,200, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the recreation workers take-home pay in St. Louis?

About $30,006 a year ($2,501 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $36,020. Includes St. Louis's local income tax (1%); the 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.

Do recreation workers earn more in St. Louis than elsewhere?

The average here is 6% less than the U.S. average for this job ($38,520).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 39-9032; area St. Louis, MO-IL (41180). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.1%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Includes St. Louis's local income tax (1%); the 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.96, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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