SalaryExplorer

SOC 39-3021 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Motion Picture Projectionists — Missouri

Missouri

$29,140 /year
$14.01per hour
−23.9%vs US median

In Missouri the median wage is $29,140.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $38,270MEDIAN$29,14090TH$40,610

How pay has moved

$34,235$24,3652021202320242025$29,140
$26,010 in 2021 to $29,140 in 2025, +12% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to decline

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
-3.7%
Openings per year
500
Typical entry-level education
No formal educational credential
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Missouri.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

In Missouri the median wage is $29,140. That is 23.9% lower than the national median of $38,270. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $28,600 and $30,070. The lowest tenth earn under $28,600, while the highest tenth earn more than $40,610.

Among the 12 states with published data for this occupation, Missouri ranks 10th by median wage. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 730th of 733 by median pay.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Missouri · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$28,600−25.3%
25th$28,600−25.3%
Median (50th)$29,140−23.9%
75th$30,070−21.4%
90th$40,610+6.1%
Mean$31,080−18.8%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Missouri run 9.2% below the national average, so the median of $29,140 goes as far as $32,093 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 16.1% below the national median in real terms.

Published median

$29,140as reported by BLS

Local price level

90.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$32,093US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $29,140 a year, 23.9% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $28,600 to $40,610 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • It ranks 10th of 12 states for this occupation.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Motion Picture Projectionists in Missouri?

The median annual wage is $29,140, or $14.01 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $38,270, so pay in Missouri is 23.9% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Missouri earns more than $40,610 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $28,600 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.