How Much Does an MRI Tech Make in Missouri in 2026?

A typical MRI Tech in Missouri earns about $39.96 per hour ($83,110 per year), per the latest government wage data (May 2025). That works out to roughly $6,926 a month and $1,598 a week, both figures calculated from the annual median. Pay varies with the city, the employer, and years of experience.

Nationally, MRI Techs earn a typical $95,480 a year, so Missouri pay runs 13% below that figure. The state ranks 39th out of 51 states and D.C. for MRI Tech pay. About 1,040 MRI Techs work across Missouri, a workforce size that puts local pay data on solid footing. Lower pay in Missouri tends to track its lower cost of living compared with higher-paying coastal states.

Entry-level positions in Missouri typically offer around $31.44 an hour ($65,400 a year) for MRI Techs just starting out. Pay generally moves toward the state's typical rate of $39.96 an hour within the first few years on the job. New techs often start in general hospital settings before moving into higher-paying specialties or facilities.

Experienced MRI Techs in Missouri often earn upwards of $44.84 an hour ($93,270 a year). The top 10% of earners make over $47.66 an hour, or $99,130 a year. The gap between entry-level and top pay comes to $33,730, a spread shaped mostly by practice setting, years of experience, and the city where a tech works.

Missouri MRI Tech pay climbed from $58,320 in 2015 to $83,110 in 2025, a gain of $24,790. That amounts to a 43% rise over the decade, with pay increasing every year along the way. The sharpest jump came between 2020 and 2021, when typical pay rose from $66,480 to $75,000.

Nationwide, MRI Tech pay rose 41% over the same decade, just below Missouri's 43% increase. Missouri pay has moved up steadily and slightly outpaced the national growth rate in percentage terms. Someone starting out now enters a field where pay has trended upward for ten straight years, though future increases are not guaranteed.

Kansas City pays MRI Techs the most in the state, with typical pay of $84,040 a year ($40.41 an hour), about 1% above the statewide figure. St. Louis follows closely at $83,330 a year ($40.06 an hour). Springfield and Columbia pay somewhat less, at $77,290 and $76,930 a year respectively.

Joplin pays the least among the state's tracked cities, with typical pay of $70,480 a year ($33.88 an hour). That puts the spread between the highest- and lowest-paying cities at $13,560. St. Louis holds the largest MRI Tech workforce in the state, with 480 employed there. These figures cover each city's full metro area, and lower pay in smaller cities like Joplin usually tracks a lower cost of living.

Missouri's neighbors show a range of pay levels. Illinois pays the most nearby, with MRI Techs earning $95,380 a year, about 15% above Missouri. Oklahoma also pays more, at $87,480. Tennessee and Arkansas pay less, both around 5% below Missouri's figure at roughly $78,600 to $78,780. Kansas, Nebraska, Kentucky, and Iowa sit close to Missouri's rate. MRI licensure earned in Missouri can often be transferred or endorsed into a neighboring state, easing a move across the border.

MRI Techs in Missouri typically earn $83,110 a year ($39.96 an hour), pay that has climbed 43% since 2015. That places the state's pay below the national figure but roughly in line with most of its neighbors. Readers weighing this career can check Missouri's licensing and registry requirements for specifics on becoming an MRI Tech, and review city-level pages for local pay figures in Kansas City, St. Louis, and beyond.