Web Developer in St. Louis, MO

The Salary Picture: Where St. Louis Stands

As a local, I can tell you that St. Louis offers a compelling value proposition for web developers. The market isn't as cutthroat as the coastal hubs, but it's robust enough to support a solid career. Let's get straight to the numbers.

The median salary for a Web Developer in the St. Louis metro is $90,468/year, which translates to a solid $43.49/hour. This is actually slightly below the national average of $92,750/year, but don't let that fool you. When you factor in the city's low cost of living, your paycheck goes significantly further here than it would in San Francisco, New York, or even Chicago. The metro area supports roughly 563 active web developer jobs, with a promising 10-year job growth projection of 16%. This growth is driven by a mix of legacy Fortune 500 companies modernizing their digital presence and a burgeoning startup scene.

To give you a clearer picture, here’s how salaries typically break down by experience level in the St. Louis market:

Experience Level	Typical Salary Range (St. Louis)	Key Responsibilities
Entry-Level (0-2 yrs)	$60,000 - $75,000	Front-end fundamentals (HTML, CSS, JS), basic frameworks, bug fixes, learning codebase.
Mid-Level (3-5 yrs)	$75,000 - $95,000	Full-stack capabilities, independent feature development, mentoring juniors, API integration.
Senior-Level (5-8 yrs)	$95,000 - $120,000+	System architecture, tech lead duties, complex problem-solving, cross-team collaboration.
Expert/Architect (8+ yrs)	$120,000 - $150,000+	Strategic tech planning, deep specialization (e.g., DevOps, security), influencing company-wide standards.

Compared to other Missouri cities, St. Louis is the clear leader for tech opportunities. Kansas City has a growing scene but is more focused on ag-tech and logistics. Springfield and Columbia have much smaller markets with fewer high-paying corporate roles. St. Louis's advantage is its diversity: it has major employers in finance, healthcare, biotech, and traditional manufacturing, all hungry for digital talent.

The Real Take-Home: After Taxes and Rent

Let's do the math. A web developer earning the median salary of $90,468 in St. Louis takes home a significantly larger portion of their income than their coastal counterparts. After federal, state, and local taxes (FICA, MO income tax, St. Louis city earnings tax), a single filer can expect roughly $68,000 - $70,000 in annual take-home pay. That's about $5,650 - $5,800 per month.

Now, let's layer in housing. The city-wide average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $972/month. This is a key metric. Your housing cost would be approximately 17% of your take-home pay, well below the recommended 30% threshold. This leaves ample room for savings, investments, and discretionary spending.

Monthly Budget Breakdown (Median Web Developer Salary):

• Gross Monthly Income: $7,539
• Estimated Take-Home Pay: $5,700
• Average 1BR Rent: $972
• Remaining Monthly Budget: $4,728

Can they afford to buy a home? Absolutely. The St. Louis housing market is one of the most affordable in the nation for a major metro area. While the 2023 median home price is around $260,000, you'll find many viable starter homes in the $180,000 - $220,000 range in stable, close-in neighborhoods. With a down payment of $20,000-$40,000 (feasible to save on this salary), a monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, could easily be comparable to—or even less than—renting a comparable space. It's a tangible pathway to building wealth that is much harder to find in cities with seven-figure home prices.

Where the Jobs Are: St. Louis's Major Employers

The job market is a mix of old-school corporate giants and agile tech firms. You're not just looking at startup job boards here. The stability and benefits from established companies are a major draw.

1. Boeing (Defense & Space): While headquartered in Chicago, Boeing's St. Louis operations in Berkeley and Hazelwood are massive, employing thousands. They have a significant need for web developers working on internal tools, training simulators (which are increasingly web-based), and secure data portals. Security clearance can be a plus, but many roles don't require it. Hiring is steady but process-heavy.

2. Centene Corporation: This Clayton-based health insurance giant is one of the region's largest employers. Their entire member portal, provider interfaces, and internal admin systems are built and maintained by a large team of web developers. They are constantly hiring for full-stack roles, especially in React and .NET stacks. It's a stable, corporate environment with good benefits.

3. Mastercard (in O'Fallon, IL): Just a short drive across the river, Mastercard's Technology Hub is a major tech employer. They recruit heavily from the St. Louis talent pool for roles in security, data visualization, and customer-facing web applications. The work is high-stakes, global, and often involves modern stacks.

4. BJC HealthCare & SSM Health: These two hospital systems are behemoths. They need web developers for patient portals, physician scheduling systems, and public-facing websites. The work is critical and often involves integrating with complex electronic health record (EHR) systems like Epic. It's a niche but high-demand area.

5. Ameren Missouri: The utility company is undergoing a massive digital transformation. They need developers for customer portals (billing, outage reporting), internal operational dashboards, and field service applications. The roles often require knowledge of legacy systems and newer web tech.

6. Local Agencies & Startups: Don't overlook the vibrant agency scene in neighborhoods like the Central West End and the Grove. Companies like Viget and Mighty in the Midwest offer a different pace and variety of projects. For startups, check out the T-REX downtown tech incubator and the Cortex Innovation Community in Midtown. Companies like LaunchCode (also a great resource for training) and TaxJar (now part of Stripe) have/had a strong presence.

Hiring Trend: There's a strong shift toward full-stack developers with cloud experience (AWS, Azure). Pure front-end or back-end roles are becoming less common. Companies want versatility.

Getting Licensed in MO

Here's a local reality: There are no state-specific licenses required to be a web developer in Missouri. The tech industry is a "learn-by-doing" field, and employers prioritize demonstrable skills and a portfolio over formal certifications.

However, here are the de facto requirements and steps to get started:

• Education: A computer science degree is helpful but not mandatory. Many successful St. Louis developers are bootcamp grads (from local programs like LaunchCode or The Software Guild) or are self-taught.
• Cost to Start: The cost is minimal if you're self-taught (just a computer and internet). Bootcamps can range from $7,000 to $15,000. Many employers in St. Louis are increasingly open to bootcamp graduates, especially for junior roles.
• Timeline: You can build a portfolio and start applying for jobs in 6-12 months of dedicated learning. There's no "licensing board" to wait on.
• What Matters More: Your GitHub profile, a polished portfolio website, and the ability to pass technical interviews. Local meetups (like STL JS or STL WordPress) are invaluable for networking and learning.

Best Neighborhoods for Web Developers

Where you live in St. Louis drastically affects your commute and lifestyle. The city is a patchwork of distinct neighborhoods.

Neighborhood	Vibe & Commute	1BR Rent Estimate	Why It's Good for Devs
Central West End (CWE)	Walkable, historic, near Forest Park. 10-20 min commute to downtown/Cortex.	$1,100 - $1,400	Proximity to startups, great coffee shops for remote work, highly walkable.
The Grove	Trendy, young-professional, nightlife hub. 15-25 min commute.	$1,000 - $1,300	Home to many agencies and startups. Excellent bars and restaurants for networking.
Maplewood	Suburban feel but walkable main street. 20-30 min commute.	$900 - $1,200	More affordable, family-friendly, with a quiet vibe good for focused remote work.
Downtown/Loft District	Urban, quiet after hours. 5-10 min walk to many offices.	$1,200 - $1,600	Ultimate convenience for downtown jobs. Unique loft living. Can be pricey and less social.
Tower Grove South	Diverse, vibrant, near the park. 20-30 min commute.	$850 - $1,100	Great value, strong community feel, excellent access to the city's best park.

Insider Tip: The commute is usually measured in minutes, not miles, due to traffic patterns. Living in the city (inside the I-270 loop) is key. Avoid long commutes from far suburbs like Chesterfield or O'Fallon unless you have a specific job locked in.

The Long Game: Career Growth

St. Louis is an excellent place to build a long-term career. The 10-year job growth of 16% is a strong indicator of sustained demand.

• Specialty Premiums: Developers who specialize in high-demand areas can command top-tier salaries, often exceeding the $120,000 mark. The most valuable specialties in the STL market are:

  • Cloud/DevOps (AWS/Azure): Critical for modernizing legacy systems at companies like Boeing and Ameren.
  • Security Clearance: For defense contractors (Boeing, Northrop Grumman), a clearance can add a 10-20% salary premium.
  • Data Visualization/BI: High demand in finance (Edward Jones) and healthcare.
  • Accessibility (a11y): A strong differentiator, especially for healthcare and government contractors.

• Advancement Paths: The classic path is from Junior -> Mid -> Senior -> Tech Lead/Manager. However, a strong individual contributor (Staff/Principal Engineer track) is equally viable and respected. Many larger companies (like Centene) have clear ladders. Another path is to move from an agency to an in-house role at a larger company for more stability and depth.

• 10-Year Outlook: The tech scene is maturing. We'll see more mid-size companies become "tech companies with a non-tech product." The growth in biotech (via Cortex) will create specialized web roles. While remote work is here to stay, hybrid models are popular, and local companies are competing for talent by offering better culture and work-life balance, not just salary.

The Verdict: Is St. Louis Right for You?

Pros	Cons
Excellent Cost of Living: Your salary stretches far, enabling homeownership and financial security.	Slower Pace of Innovation: You won't be at the bleeding edge of every tech trend.
Stable, Diverse Job Market: Not reliant on one industry; resilient to economic shocks.	Midsize Market: Fewer total jobs than major hubs; networking is crucial.
Manageable Commutes & Traffic: Easy to get around, less stress than larger metros.	"Big Small Town" Feel: The tech community is tight-knit; can feel insular if you're not connected.
Culture & Amenities: World-class free zoo, great parks, vibrant food scene, passionate sports fans.	Missouri Culture: Politics and social views can be more conservative than coastal cities.
High Quality of Life: Balance of urban and suburban options, less hustle and bustle.	Limited Public Transit: A car is almost essential for exploring the metro area fully.

Final Recommendation: St. Louis is an outstanding choice for web developers who value stability, affordability, and a high quality of life over the relentless chase of the next "unicorn" startup. It's ideal for those looking to buy a home, start a family, and build a sustainable career without the financial pressure of coastal cities. If you're a self-starter who can network effectively, you'll find a welcoming community and plenty of opportunity. It's not the flashiest city, but it's a deeply practical and rewarding place to be a developer.

FAQs

1. Do I need to know anyone to get a job in St. Louis?
It helps immensely, but it's not a hard requirement. The market is smaller, so referrals can get your resume to the top of the pile. However, a strong portfolio and solid interview skills are the great equalizers. Attend local meetups (found on Meetup.com) to build your network.

2. How is the job market for junior developers?
Competitive, but there are paths. Larger companies like Centene and BJC have formal junior/associate programs. Agencies are also a great place to cut your teeth. Be prepared to apply broadly and consider contract-to-hire roles to get your foot in the door.

3. Is a car necessary in St. Louis?
For the most part, yes. While neighborhoods like the CWE and the Grove are walkable, and you can use ride-shares, the metro area is spread out. Most employers are not on major public transit lines. If you land a remote-only job, you could get by, but for the flexibility to explore different job opportunities, a car is recommended.

4. What's the tech stack I should focus on?
The dominant enterprise stack is .NET (C#) with SQL Server, especially in finance and healthcare. For startups and agencies, JavaScript (React) with Node.js and Python/Django are very common. Knowing a major cloud platform (AWS or Azure) is a huge plus for career advancement.

5. How does St. Louis compare to Kansas City for tech?
St. Louis has a larger, more diversified tech job market and a higher concentration of Fortune 500 headquarters. Kansas City has a stronger startup scene per capita and is a hub for AgTech and logistics tech. Salaries are comparable, but St. Louis's cost of living is slightly lower. Choose St. Louis for corporate stability and KC for a more startup-centric vibe.