What does a Physicists salary really buy you in Missouri?
Missouri is 8.9% cheaper than the US averageData: BLS OEWS 2024 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-04-06
Missouri's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 91.1, meaning prices are 8.9% lower the national average. A Physicists earning $176,520 in Missouri has the equivalent purchasing power of $193,765 in an average-cost US state.
A Physicists in Missouri earns $176,520 on paper, but low living costs mean your money goes 10% further — like earning $193,765 in an average-cost state. This makes Missouri one of the best value states for this occupation.
Where does Physicists salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Missouri ranks #4 out of 38 states for Physicists after cost-of-living adjustment.
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How much do you actually take home? See Physicists take-home pay in Missouri after taxes →
A Physicists in Missouri earns a median salary of $176,520 per year. After adjusting for Missouri's cost of living (RPP=91.1), the real purchasing power is $193,765 — a +9.8% difference.
Missouri's cost of living is 8.9% lower than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Missouri is 91.1 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Physicists in Missouri: $176,520 x (100 / 91.1) = $193,765. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
From a purchasing power perspective, yes. A Physicists in Missouri enjoys 9.8% more buying power than the nominal salary suggests, because living costs are below the national average. However, other factors like job availability, career growth, and quality of life also matter.