Average RN Salary in Missouri (2026)

Written by: Marie Hasty, BSN, RN Content Writer

Reviewed by: Rishi Kulkarni, PhD VP, Engineering and Machine Learning, Data Science

If you work in the Ozark State, the average RN salary in Missouri has a direct impact on your career and life. The large majority of counties in the state have a shortage of healthcare professionals. Missouri needs nurses in a variety of settings, and an aging workforce could lead to even more opportunities for new and experienced RNs.

What should you expect from a registered nurse's salary? Missouri RN pay depends on several factors, such as degree type, specialty, location, schedule, and much more. Staying updated on the latest salary trends can help you negotiate competitive compensation. Explore salary averages at a glance below, as well as recommendations for increasing your earnings as a nurse.

What’s the Average RN Salary in Missouri?

With an average salary of $85,811 per year, or $41.26 per hour, Missouri RNs earn slightly above the national average. Your own salary may look different, though, depending on where you work, your education, and the type of facility you choose.

How these numbers are determined: Our wage estimates for the RN salary in Missouri are based on two inputs: Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data and Credenza's own job postings feed, which features current job ads for nurses in the area. Estimates are updated monthly. Learn more about our methodology.

How Much Do RNs Make in Missouri by City?

Curious where Missouri RNs can find the best earning opportunities? Take a look at the latest Credenza job listings to find opportunities that fit your professional and financial goals.

Your salary. Your city.

What Do RNs Make in Missouri?

Median pay for RNs in Missouri's top-paying areas, from Credenza's salary model. Updated monthly.

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Our own salary estimates · Updated monthly · Free to access
Annual figures are annualized equivalents (40 hrs/week × 52 weeks) of median hourly pay.

Missouri RN Salary Comparison

How does the average registered nurse salary in Missouri compare to the rest of the nation? The state’s average nursing salary tends to be lower than the national average, although your exact salary can vary significantly from this number.

The national average tells one story — regional pay trends tell another. Compare the average RN salary in Missouri to salaries in the surrounding states:

Benefits of Being a Missouri RN

RNs in Missouri enjoy a cost of living below the national average, access to top-ranked hospital systems, and the flexibility that comes with the compact license. If you hold a multistate license from another NLC state — such as Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas, and more — you can work in Missouri without going through an additional licensure process.

Looking for help with your student loans from nursing school? Missouri’s Health Professional Loan Repayment Program (HPLRP) offers loan forgiveness for RNs who commit to a full-time, two-year work agreement in an underserved community.

If you’re interested in buying a home, the Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) offers two programs with affordable interest rates and down payment assistance. Plus, average home prices in Missouri fall far below the national average, making this assistance go further.

Grow Your Career in Missouri

About 75% of nursing professionals in Missouri are registered nurses; 15.2% are licensed practical nurses; and 9.4% are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). The Missouri Nurses Association (MNA) advocates for nursing professionals throughout the state, prioritizing regulatory reduction for APRNs, reducing opioid addiction, and promoting workplace safety. Learn more about their scholarship programs, awards, and membership opportunities.

The state of Missouri is actively working to ease the nursing shortage in the state. They aim to develop a statewide model to develop clinical partnerships between nursing schools and healthcare facilities, implement career ladder programs for healthcare professionals, expand prelicensure nursing programs, and much more.

Considering going back to school? The University of Missouri – Kansas City Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program ranks among the best in the state and is in the top 10% of programs nationwide. If you’re looking for a flexible graduate degree, the University of Missouri – Sinclair is ranked highly for their online Master of Nursing (MSN) degree programs.

Healthcare Facilities in Missouri

Where should you look for roles in Missouri? The state is home to eight Magnet-designated hospitals. Barnes-Jewish Hospital was the first adult hospital to achieve this award in 2003 and has maintained its status since then. Magnet facilities are designated by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for self-governance, nursing professional development, and more.

Missouri has several level-1 trauma centers spread across major metros, and many facilities offer sign-on bonuses for RNs. Check out roles at the hospitals, post-acute facilities, and other healthcare organizations spread across the state:

How to Increase Your RN Salary in Missouri

Whether you’re earning an entry-level salary in Missouri or you’ve got several years of experience under your belt, there are many ways you can make more money as a nurse. If you want to boost your paycheck, consider applying one or more of the following tips:

Climb the clinical ladder. Many hospitals have a professional development program for nurses that includes pay increases at each step. Progressing up the ladder may mean going back for your BSN, earning a certification, leading a committee, or something else.
Volunteer for shifts. Looking for a way to earn more on your next paycheck? Many facilities make it easy to work additional hours, whether on your unit or somewhere else. This is a great way to get a short-term income boost without committing to additional responsibilities.
Consider a schedule change. If your lifestyle is flexible, consider working a shift with a greater shift differential, such as weekends, evenings, or nights. These shifts tend to be harder to fill, so there may be less competition for roles.
Become a travel nurse. Missouri needs nurses across the state. If you’re willing to work away from home for a stint, check out travel nurse jobs in Missouri.
Pick up a side hustle. Don’t want to spend more time on your current unit? A per diem nursing job could be the answer. These flexible roles allow you to pick up work when you're available, so you can control how much you earn. Learn more about per diem jobs in Missouri.

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Why Trust Us?

How much you make as a registered nurse is important. That’s why it’s crucial to get numbers reporting the RN salary in Missouri and other regions right. We have the data and the experience to do just that. Here’s why you can rely on us.

Methodology: How We Get the Data

Data Sources. Wage estimates combine two inputs. The first is the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, which is the federal benchmark for what healthcare workers actually earn. It's the most reliable measure available, but it's published annually, lags the market, and doesn't report on thousands of smaller market-and-discipline combinations. The second is Credenza's own job postings feed, a daily export of active listings from verified healthcare employers. Postings are current and granular, but they advertise pay rather than report it, as advertised rates typically run a few percentage points off actual earnings, by an amount that varies market to market.

How Estimates Are Calculated. Rather than averaging listings, our model treats each market's wage as an unknown value that both sources give partial evidence about. It learns the gap between advertised and earned pay for each market, anchors markets with sparse data to their state's wage level, and carries estimates forward year over year at a rate learned from historical data. Every figure is published with an interval reflecting how much evidence stands behind it.

Data Cleaning. We exclude extreme outlier salary ranges, which are often artifacts of data collection. These are rare, but in thin markets a single outlier listing can shift an average by whole percentage points.

Coverage and Limitations. Our estimates cover roughly 1,600 market-and-discipline combinations the federal survey never reports on, including rural areas and smaller metros. All figures are statistical estimates rather than measured wages, and shifts in which employers are posting can affect the advertised-versus-earned correction. These figures describe market conditions and aren't a substitute for a formal compensation study.

Who We Are

All our Career Advice articles, including the Nursing Salary pages, were prepared by the humans on the Credenza content team. Our team comprises subject matter experts — registered nurse writers — and an editorial staff with a combined 65+ years of digital writing, publishing, and SEO experience, who uphold a rigorous review process to ensure that our articles are both accurate and relevant to modern nurses. Our articles provide actionable steps to help you maximize your career potential, whether you’re seeking new employment opportunities or just looking for ways to gain greater job satisfaction.

About Credenza

Credenza is the clinician career destination, the single place to manage your career, unlock every opportunity, and ensure you’re always ready for what’s next. The clinical job market is moving fast. On Credenza, your profile unlocks every relevant match, specialty, and setting all in one place. Credenza — one profile, one platform, every opportunity.

Average Registered Nurse (RN) Salary in Missouri (2026)