High paying medical jobs in Columbia, MO

Every medical occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Columbia, MO. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single medical job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Cost of living: prices in Columbia, MO run 10.6% below the national average (2024), so a Columbia, MO salary is worth about 1.12× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find medical jobs in Columbia, MO

OccupationMedian, Columbia, MO · Employed

1Physicians, All Other$312,080
Doctoral or professional degree
$149,990 – $393,700190
2Nurse Anesthetists$310,170
Master's degree
$215,420 – $310,17090
3Dentists, General$207,450
Doctoral or professional degree
$88,610 – $352,76060
4Pharmacists$139,430
Doctoral or professional degree
$115,650 – $173,310280
5Physician Assistants$132,220
Master's degree
$107,340 – $161,670140
6Nurse Practitioners$128,930
Master's degree
$108,840 – $155,990330
7Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other$102,540
Master's degree
$81,330 – $175,76050
8Veterinarians$99,620
Doctoral or professional degree
$38,180 – $186,870140
9Occupational Therapists$98,550
Master's degree
$71,620 – $129,360160
10Speech-Language Pathologists$97,610
Master's degree
$58,760 – $128,230140
11Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$88,540
Associate's degree
$64,590 – $97,96050
12Dental Hygienists$86,300
Associate's degree
$53,020 – $97,850140
13Radiation Therapists$84,980
Associate's degree
$70,340 – $103,23060
14Registered Nurses$84,330
Bachelor's degree
$63,080 – $105,7903,680
15Physical Therapists$83,320
Doctoral or professional degree
$74,120 – $120,830280
16Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists$76,930
Associate's degree
$71,350 – $115,27060
17Family Medicine Physicians$69,590
Doctoral or professional degree
$69,590 – $281,550740
18Respiratory Therapists$69,400
Associate's degree
$55,450 – $83,780150
19Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$69,170
Associate's degree
$55,510 – $91,790230
20Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$67,400
Bachelor's degree
$39,010 – $91,350230
21Dietitians and Nutritionists$66,640
Bachelor's degree
$50,430 – $96,10070
22Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$61,670
Postsecondary nondegree award
$48,880 – $75,280800
23Athletic Trainers$61,540
Master's degree
$52,000 – $79,51060
24Medical Records Specialists$60,960
Postsecondary nondegree award
$43,910 – $74,080300
25Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$47,640
Postsecondary nondegree award
$35,060 – $77,400200
26Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$44,810
Associate's degree
$36,270 – $60,860130
27Emergency Medical Technicians$43,980
Postsecondary nondegree award
$33,310 – $50,48080
28Ophthalmic Medical Technicians$43,300
Postsecondary nondegree award
$35,640 – $55,64040
29Psychiatric Technicians$43,170
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,200 – $55,680270
30Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars$41,080
Associate's degree
$41,080 – $63,50090
31Pharmacy Technicians$37,750
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,880 – $53,820500
32Opticians, Dispensing$36,600
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,280 – $46,91060

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianColumbia, MO	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$312,080	$149,990 – $393,700	190
2	Nurse AnesthetistsMaster's degree	$310,170	$215,420 – $310,170	90
3	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$207,450	$88,610 – $352,760	60
4	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$139,430	$115,650 – $173,310	280
5	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$132,220	$107,340 – $161,670	140
6	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$128,930	$108,840 – $155,990	330
7	Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All OtherMaster's degree	$102,540	$81,330 – $175,760	50
8	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$99,620	$38,180 – $186,870	140
9	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$98,550	$71,620 – $129,360	160
10	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$97,610	$58,760 – $128,230	140
11	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$88,540	$64,590 – $97,960	50
12	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$86,300	$53,020 – $97,850	140
13	Radiation TherapistsAssociate's degree	$84,980	$70,340 – $103,230	60
14	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$84,330	$63,080 – $105,790	3,680
15	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$83,320	$74,120 – $120,830	280
16	Magnetic Resonance Imaging TechnologistsAssociate's degree	$76,930	$71,350 – $115,270	60
17	Family Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$69,590	$69,590 – $281,550	740
18	Respiratory TherapistsAssociate's degree	$69,400	$55,450 – $83,780	150
19	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$69,170	$55,510 – $91,790	230
20	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and TechniciansBachelor's degree	$67,400	$39,010 – $91,350	230
21	Dietitians and NutritionistsBachelor's degree	$66,640	$50,430 – $96,100	70
22	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$61,670	$48,880 – $75,280	800
23	Athletic TrainersMaster's degree	$61,540	$52,000 – $79,510	60
24	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$60,960	$43,910 – $74,080	300
25	Health Technologists and Technicians, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$47,640	$35,060 – $77,400	200
26	Veterinary Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$44,810	$36,270 – $60,860	130
27	Emergency Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$43,980	$33,310 – $50,480	80
28	Ophthalmic Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$43,300	$35,640 – $55,640	40
29	Psychiatric TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$43,170	$36,200 – $55,680	270
30	Health Information Technologists and Medical RegistrarsAssociate's degree	$41,080	$41,080 – $63,500	90
31	Pharmacy TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,750	$31,880 – $53,820	500
32	Opticians, DispensingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$36,600	$33,280 – $46,910	60

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Columbia, MO. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

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The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Columbia, MO to rank honestly.

High paying medical jobs in Columbia, MO

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