SOC 11-1011 · Columbia, MO metro

Chief Executives Salary in Columbia, MO

The average salary for chief executives in Columbia, Missouri is $205,590 a year ($98.84 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $159,890: half of the 90 people in this job in the Columbia, MO metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 27% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($281,693).

$205,590average per year

$98.84 / hourMedian $159,890Take-home ≈ $144,319

  • $79K10th
  • $102K25th
  • $160KMedian
  • $252K75th
  • $377K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

90people in this job
-27%vs U.S. metro average
#4 of 7Missouri metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Chief Executives pay range in Columbia

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $78,610 a year or less, while the top 10% make $377,490 or more. The middle half of chief executives in Columbia earn between $101,850 and $251,860.

  • $79K10th
  • $102K25th
  • $160KMedian
  • $252K75th
  • $377K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$205,590$17,132$98.84
Median$159,890$13,324$76.87
Entry level (25th percentile)$101,850$8,488$48.97
Experienced (75th percentile)$251,860$20,988$121.09

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

Chief Executives salary after taxes in Columbia

On the average salary of $205,590, a single filer in Columbia takes home about $144,319 a year, or $12,027 a month and $5,551 every two weeks. Taxes take 30% of gross pay.

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

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Is Columbia a good place for chief executives? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Columbia area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 89.4), so the average $205,590 buys what about $229,869 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 3.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Columbia ($47,260). A typical home costs $323,951, or 1.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $205,590 is worth in another city

Chief Executives salary in other Missouri cities

Columbia ranks 4th of 7 Missouri metro areas for this job; Kansas City pays the most ($279,380).

All Chief Executives salaries in Missouri

Highest-paying cities for chief executives

Medford, OR pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($503,650).

Chief Executives salary by city

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Chief Executives salary in Columbia: questions

How much do chief executives make an hour in Columbia?

$98.84 an hour on average, and $76.87 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level chief executives salary in Columbia?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $78,610 a year and the 25th percentile is $101,850, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the chief executives take-home pay in Columbia?

About $144,319 a year ($12,027 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $205,590. The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.

Do chief executives earn more in Columbia than elsewhere?

The average here is 27% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($281,693).

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 11-1011; area Columbia, MO (17860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.5%.
  • 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). 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 0.67, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.67).

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.