Nurse Anesthetist Salary in St. Louis, MO: $244,380 (2026)
Quick Answer:A full-time nurse anesthetist in St. Louis, MO earns a median $244,380/year (≈ $117.49/hour) in nominal terms for 2026 — projected from BLS OEWS 2025 (SOC 29-1151). Once you factor in St. Louis's price level (5% below national, BEA RPP 95.1), that paycheck buys what $257,004 would nationally. Nominal pay sits 9.6% above the Missouri state average.
Official BLS data · View source

In 2026, the nurse anesthetist salary in St. Louis, Missouri, is projected to reach a median of $244,380, reflecting the local market's dynamics and demand for skilled practitioners. The salary range indicates the diversity of compensation levels, with the lowest decile earning $226,159 and the highest approaching $350,106. This data, derived from 2025 BLS OEWS surveys, highlights significant variations in pay, primarily driven by factors such as call coverage responsibilities, work schedules, and organizational efficiencies. St. Louis presents a rewarding job market for nurse anesthetists, particularly for those adept at negotiating their roles and schedules to maximize their take-home pay.
Salary Breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level (P10) | $226,159 | $108.73 |
| Lower Range (P25) | $226,169 | $108.73 |
| Median (P50)(typical) | $244,380 | $117.49 |
| Upper Range (P75) | $330,307 | $158.80 |
| Top Earners (P90) | $350,106 | $168.32 |
Median Salary Position
1.81% below the national average
2026 Salary Percentile Distribution in St. Louis
In St. Louis, MO, the nurse anesthetist salary spread from the 10th to 90th percentile is $123,947 (2026 est.). At $244,380, the local median is 1.81% below the national median of $248,893.
Salary Calculator
At 40 hours/week in St. Louis: You'd be in the entry-level range
How St. Louis Nurse Anesthetist Pay Compares
St. Louis median: $244,380/year (2026)
| Compared To | Median Salary | St. Louis Pays |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri Average | $222,974 | +9.60% more |
| National Average | $248,893 | -1.81% less |
Nurse Anesthetists in St. Louis, MO earn a median of $244,380 per year (2026 est.), which is 1.81% lower than the national median of $248,893 and 9.60% above the Missouri state average of $222,974.
Cost-of-Living Adjusted Salary
St. Louis has a cost of living 4.91% below the national average, meaning your salary goes further here.
Adjusted salary = nominal × (100 / CoL index). CoL index: 100 = national average.
St. Louis, MO has a cost-of-living index of 95.088 (below the national average of 100). A nurse anesthetist earning $244,380 nominally has purchasing power equivalent to $257,004 in an average-cost city — an effective 5.17% boost.
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2019 BLS Actual
$161,410
2025 BLS Actual
$232,300
2026 Current Est.
$244,380
2019–2027 Growth
+59.3%
Salary Trajectory for Nurse Anesthetists in St. Louis (2019–2027)
2019–2025: actual BLS OEWS data for this metro area. 2026+: CAGR 5.20% projection.
| Year | Annual Salary | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $161,410 | Actual |
| 2020 | $170,290 | Actual |
| 2021 | $169,000 | Actual |
| 2022 | $173,850 | Actual |
| 2023 | $184,760 | Actual |
| 2024 | $192,070 | Actual |
| 2025 | $232,300 | Actual |
| 2026(current) | $244,380 | Estimated |
| 2027 | $257,087 | Projected |
Based on 7 years of BLS OEWS data for the St. Louis metropolitan area, the median nurse anesthetist salary grew 43.9% from $161,410 (2019) to $232,300 (2025). At a 5.20% compound annual growth rate, salaries are projected to reach $257,087 by 2027 — a total increase of $95,677 (59.28%) from 2019.
Note: Historical values (2019–2025) are actual BLS OEWS figures for the St. Louis metropolitan area, sourced from annual Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys. 2026–2026 figures are current estimates, and 2027 values are projections, calculated using a 5.20% CAGR derived from 7-year BLS historical data. Actual salaries may vary based on employer, experience, certifications, and local market conditions.
Salary by Experience Level
| Experience | Estimated Salary Range |
|---|---|
| 0-2 years (New Graduate) | $226,159 – $226,169 |
| 3-5 years (Mid Career) | $226,169 – $244,380 |
| 5+ years (Experienced) | $244,380 – $330,307 |
| 10+ years (Top Earner) | $330,307 – $350,106 |
CRNA salary ranges estimated from BLS percentile data. Individual nurse anesthetist compensation varies by employer, certifications, and specialization.
Nurse Anesthetist Job Market in St. Louis
Currently, around 650 nurse anesthetists practice within the St. Louis area, contributing to the robustness of the local health care economy. Given the cost of living index at 95.088, practitioners benefit from relatively favorable purchasing power compared to many other regions. The most generous compensation typically comes from hospital systems that employ CRNAs as W-2 staff, alongside lucrative opportunities in ambulatory surgery centers and CRNA-owned practices offering partnership tracks. Variations in salaries also arise from the intricacies of call rotations, weekend differentials, and performance incentives. Nurse anesthetists seeking to optimize their pay in St. Louis should consider targeting opportunities at institutions that value productivity, as well as negotiating arrangements that allow for flexibility in call schedules, thereby capitalizing on higher remuneration and reduced time commitments.
More salary data for St. Louis, MO:
Frequently Asked Questions
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Written by Alexandra Johnson, MSN, CRNA
Career Analyst
Alexandra Johnson has 10 years of experience as a nurse anesthetist. She specializes in anesthesia for orthopedic surgeries. She works in a regional medical center.
Methodology & Data Source
Salary figures on this page are 2026 projections based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2026 release. The BLS reported a median annual salary of $232,300 for nurse anesthetistsin the St. Louis metropolitan area. A 5.20% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), calculated from 6-year national BLS wage trends, was applied to project current 2026 compensation. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) represent the full salary distribution across experience levels and practice settings in this market.
Data Sources & Methodology
Source: BLS, OEWS, 7-year dataset (–). Per-city data from annual BLS metropolitan area surveys.
2026 figures are projected from 2025 BLS data using a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.20%, derived from historical BLS wage trends for nurse anesthetists (SOC 29-1151).
Compiled and verified by Alexandra Johnson, MSN, CRNA, a licensed nurse anesthetist with 10+ years of clinical experience. · View source data at BLS.gov