Jobs, pay and daily life in Columbia, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click a state or a city. States: Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · District of Columbia · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Columbia is a city in Missouri with 128,548 residents. The median household earns $66,498 a year and the median rent is $1,097 a month, which is 19.8% of the median household income. It is part of the Columbia, MO metropolitan area, where BLS counts 107,680 jobs.
Federal jobs in Missouri (989) →State guide: MissouriCountry guide
There are 989 federal postings open in Missouri (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Missouri →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 3,680 | 1.57 | $84,330 | $63,080 | $105,790 | -14% |
| General and Operations Managers | 3,440 | 1.42 | $75,410 | $38,900 | $167,640 | -29% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 3,000 | 1.01 | $36,860 | $28,600 | $45,280 | +3% |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,610 | 0.97 | $31,390 | $28,600 | $44,210 | -11% |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 2,470 | 5.57 | $29,110 | $28,600 | $35,140 | -6% |
| Cashiers | 2,340 | 1.09 | $29,910 | $28,600 | $36,050 | -9% |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,330 | 1.37 | $44,730 | $29,580 | $64,500 | -1% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 2,120 | 1.35 | $29,250 | $28,600 | $58,960 | -17% |
| Nursing Assistants | 2,040 | 2.03 | $41,290 | $32,260 | $47,530 | -2% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,880 | 0.96 | $34,720 | $29,480 | $47,130 | -7% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,870 | 1.04 | $41,210 | $31,620 | $62,430 | -8% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,410 | 0.53 | $29,390 | $28,600 | $36,640 | -6% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1,350 | 1.14 | $39,680 | $31,100 | $61,110 | -17% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,290 | 1.22 | $45,870 | $28,600 | $66,030 | -8% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,270 | 0.83 | $35,510 | $29,340 | $45,180 | -4% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,250 | 0.61 | $38,070 | $30,880 | $50,910 | -5% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 990 | 1.02 | $35,240 | $28,750 | $44,420 | -6% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 990 | 1.31 | $61,600 | $49,150 | $105,160 | -26% |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 950 | 1.29 | $58,720 | $44,600 | $77,160 | -18% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 930 | 0.93 | $61,670 | $42,340 | $91,560 | -11% |
These figures are for the whole Columbia, MO metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $47,260 (US $50,980); unemployment 2.7% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 37.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 12.0% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 9.5% |
| Retail trade | 8.9% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 8.1% |
| Manufacturing | 6.0% |
| Other services | 4.0% |
| Public administration | 4.0% |
| Construction | 3.4% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 2.9% |
| Information | 1.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.2% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.6% |
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 73.7% |
| Public transit | 1.2% |
| Walk | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 10.0% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 4.2% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,498 |
| Income per person | $39,340 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,097 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 19.8% |
| Median home value | $284,600 |
| Homeowners | 48.7% |
| Poverty rate | 19.2% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 89.4 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $47,260 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 4.70%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 29.5 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 95.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 56.7% |
| Born abroad | 8.1% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 65.8% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -2.1 | 28 | 49 |
| Feb | -0.4 | 31 | 49 |
| Mar | 6.3 | 43 | 80 |
| Apr | 12.7 | 55 | 112 |
| May | 18.1 | 65 | 122 |
| Jun | 23.7 | 75 | 115 |
| Jul | 26.2 | 79 | 113 |
| Aug | 25.4 | 78 | 106 |
| Sep | 20.7 | 69 | 89 |
| Oct | 13.1 | 56 | 94 |
| Nov | 6.3 | 43 | 61 |
| Dec | 0.4 | 33 | 54 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independence | MO | 109 mi | 121,740 | $60,339 | $1,109 |
| St. Louis | MO | 114 mi | 288,512 | $56,160 | $997 |
| Kansas City | MO | 120 mi | 516,045 | $69,958 | $1,292 |
| Overland Park | KS | 127 mi | 200,306 | $104,834 | $1,515 |
| Kansas City | KS | 130 mi | 155,135 | $62,401 | $1,123 |
| Springfield | MO | 132 mi | 169,954 | $49,311 | $964 |
| Olathe | KS | 134 mi | 145,057 | $114,009 | $1,314 |
| Topeka | KS | 181 mi | 125,786 | $56,956 | $979 |
| Des Moines | IA | 194 mi | 212,421 | $65,932 | $1,090 |
| Cedar Rapids | IA | 211 mi | 137,264 | $70,424 | $967 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
128,548 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,097 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 19.8% of the median household income.
$66,498 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
2.7% (BLS metro area 2026M09).
Missouri. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.