Career Atlas USA

Careers in Columbia, MO

Part of Missouri.

Columbia, MO’s regional price level is below the national average (index 89.438, where 100 = U.S. average, 2024 BEA data).

Unemployment rate: 3.6% · 110,863 people employed (2026-06, BLS LAUS, not seasonally adjusted).

Highest-Paying Careers

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  1. 1Physicians, All Other$312,080
  2. 2Nurse Anesthetists$310,170
  3. 3Dentists, General$207,450
  4. 4Chief Executives$159,890
  5. 5Architectural and Engineering Managers$140,040

Largest Occupations

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  1. 1Registered Nurses3,680 employed
  2. 2General and Operations Managers3,440 employed
  3. 3Home Health and Personal Care Aides3,000 employed
  4. 4Retail Salespersons2,610 employed
  5. 5Cooks, Fast Food2,470 employed

Highest Concentration

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  1. 1Occupational Therapy Aides10.72× national avg
  2. 2Family Medicine Physicians9.93× national avg
  3. 3Social Science Research Assistants7.76× national avg
  4. 4Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary6.26× national avg
  5. 5Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other6.10× national avg

Best Purchasing Power

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cost-of-living adjusted

  1. 1Physicians, All Other$348,934
  2. 2Nurse Anesthetists$346,799
  3. 3Dentists, General$231,948
  4. 4Chief Executives$178,772
  5. 5Architectural and Engineering Managers$156,578

Sources

Wage and employment data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities. Unemployment rate: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS). Opportunity Score isn’t available at the metro level yet — see Missouri state page.