File Clerk Salary in St. Louis, MO
File Clerks in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area earn a median $40,850 a year — 6% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $34,020 take-home, or $2,835 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median file clerk salary in St. Louis, MO. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$2,722
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,533
- Medicare (1.45%)$592
- Missouri income tax$983
- Take-home pay$34,020
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.70% state
The St. Louis, MO-IL metro spans Missouri, Illinois. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.
File Clerk pay by experience in St. Louis, MO
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $31,200 | $15.00 | $26,720 | $2,227 |
| 25th percentile | $35,100 | $16.88 | $29,670 | $2,473 |
| Median (50th) | $40,850 | $19.64 | $34,020 | $2,835 |
| 75th percentile | $50,760 | $24.40 | $41,517 | $3,460 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $66,870 | $32.15 | $53,667 | $4,472 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Missouri resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $40,850 buys in St. Louis, MO
Prices in St. Louis, MO are 4.9% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 21% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median file clerk's $34,020 take-home pay has the buying power of $35,778 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
File Clerk jobs are about as common in St. Louis, MO as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.91).
Best-paying cities for file clerks, adjusted for cost of living
St. Louis, MO ranks #20 of 31 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago, IL | $58,320 | $46,298 | $44,691 |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | $60,840 | $48,574 | $43,989 |
| 3 | Nashville, TN | $46,990 | $39,936 | $41,455 |
| 4 | Austin, TX | $46,400 | $39,462 | $40,241 |
| 5 | Portland, OR | $52,280 | $40,442 | $38,362 |
| 6 | San Francisco, CA | $54,910 | $44,242 | $38,268 |
| 7 | Atlanta, GA | $46,700 | $37,903 | $37,881 |
| 8 | Riverside, CA | $49,180 | $40,057 | $37,632 |
| 20 | St. Louis, MO | $40,850 | $34,020 | $35,778 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 31 metros →
Frequently asked questions
How much does a file clerk make in St. Louis, MO?
The median file clerk salary in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area is $40,850 a year, or about $19.64 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $35,100 and $50,760.
What is a file clerk’s take-home pay in St. Louis, MO?
On the median $40,850 salary, a single filer living in Missouri takes home about $34,020 a year ($2,835 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $983 in Missouri taxes in 2026.
Is St. Louis, MO a good place to work as a file clerk?
Pay here is 6% below the national median of $43,600. Local prices are 4.9% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $35,778 would in a typical U.S. city. St. Louis, MO ranks #20 of 31 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a file clerk afford rent in St. Louis, MO?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in St. Louis, MO is $989 a month ($1,211 for two bedrooms) — 35% of a median file clerk’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in St. Louis, MO
- First-Line Supervisor of Office and Administrative Support Workers — $68,590
- Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant — $63,500
- Postal Service Mail Carrier — $62,070
- Postal Service Clerk — $61,050
- Payroll and Timekeeping Clerk — $59,190
- Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators — $56,390
- Public Safety Telecommunicator — $56,250
- Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks — $51,260
- Information and Record Clerks, All Other — $51,210
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks — $49,970
- Loan Interviewer and Clerk — $49,790
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance — $49,650