Missouri state government salary
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This page describes the compensation, salaries, and benefits that Missouri's public employees receive from state and local government.
According to 2010 figures from the U.S. Census Bureau, Missouri state employee salaries ranked last among all states with an average yearly salary of $36,985 per employee, excluding those who work at public colleges and universities. Missouri employees have not received a general pay increase since 2009.[1]
In 2012, the Senate voted to give a 2 percent raise to employees earning $45,000 or less.[2] It would 46,000 public employees, 82 percent of the state, and cost taxpayers $33 million.
The St. Louis Post Dispatch has a searchable website with the Missouri Public Employee Payroll for 2012 here.
Elected officials' salaries
| Office | '10 Salary | Current Official |
|---|---|---|
| Governor | $133,821[4] | Jeremiah Nixon |
| Lieutenant Governor | $86,484 | Peter Kinder |
| Secretary of State | $107,746 | Jason Kander |
| Attorney General | $116,437 | Chris Koster |
| Treasurer | $107,746 | Clint Zweifel |
The salary of Missouri's governor ranks 26th among U.S. governors' salaries. The average salary earned by U.S. governors is $128,735. The median salary earned by U.S. governors is $129,962.[5]
Legislators' salary
Missouri state legislators make $35,915 per year.[6] Legislators also receive a per diem of $104.20 per day plus mileage tied to federal rate.[7]
Judicial salaries
| Position | '09 Salary | Current Justice |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Justice | $137,034 | Vacant |
| Associate Justice | $137,034 | Laura Denvir Stith |
| Associate Justice | $137,034 | Zel Fischer |
| Associate Justice | $137,034 | George Draper |
| Chief Justice | $139,534 | Richard Teitelman |
| Associate Justice | $137,034 | Mary Rhodes Russell |
| Associate Justice | $137,034 | Patricia Breckenridge |
The salary of Missouri's chief justice ranks 36th among U.S. chief justices' salaries. The average salary earned by U.S. chief justices is $155,230. The median salary earned by U.S. chief justices is $151,284.[8]
The salary of Missouri's associate justices ranks 38th among U.S. associate justices' salaries. The average salary earned by U.S. associate justices is $151,142. The median salary earned by U.S. associate justices is $145,984.[8]
State and local employees
According to 2008 Census data, the state of Missouri and local governments in the state employed a total of 391,994 people.[9] Of those employees, 295,212 were full-time employees receiving a net pay of $974,910,528 per month and 96,782 were part-time employees paid $80,740,861 per month.[9] More than 55% of those employees, or 217,798 employees, were in education or higher education.[9]
As of April 2012, state employees had not received a pay raise in four years.[10]
Teacher Salaries
In Missouri teachers pay 14 percent of their total compensation (salary and board-paid benefits) to the Missouri Public School Retirement System. The Board of Education matches that contribution. Thus, a teacher’s long-term retirement is being supported by a 28 percent contribution per year. Teachers do not contribute to Social Security but do contribute to Medicare. The contribution rate for teachers has risen from 9 percent years ago to the current 14 percent and will continue to increase 0.5 percent per year to maintain adequate funding in the retirement system. [11]
Missouri teachers and other educator categories just received the right to collectively bargain four years ago. [12]
Teachers are expected to advance their education at their own expense to increase their salary. The typical master’s degree costs approximately $14,000. [13]
| Beginning Teacher Salary | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| $28,055 | $44,249 |
State employee benefits
Insurance
Health Under the Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan (MCHCP), state employees may choose from a variety of plan options, including a high deductible plan, HMO, PPO and Copay plan.[15] Individual employees seeking coverage for only themselves pay between $46 and $56 per month as a premium and the MCHCP pays $451 per month.[16]
Dental Optional dental insurance is available to employees at a monthly rate of $18.34 for individual coverage.[17]
Vision Optional dental insurance is available to employees at a monthly rate of $7.50 for individual coverage.[18]
Paid time off
Sick Leave Employees who are employed on a full-time basis in positions of a continuing or permanent nature earn sick leave at the rate of five hours per pay period. For part-time employees in eligible positions, sick leave is prorated.[19]
Employees can accumulate sick leave without limit. Sick leave can be converted to retirement credit upon retirement.[19]
Annual Leave Employees earn leave based on their time of employment with the state.[19]
- Employees with less than ten years of total state service earn 5 hours of annual leave each pay period with a maximum annual leave balance of 240 hours (30 days).
- Employees who have completed ten years of total state service earn 6 hours of annual leave each pay period with a maximum annual leave balance of 288 hours (36 days).
- Employees who have completed fifteen years of total state service earn 7 hours of annual leave each pay period with a maximum annual leave balance of 336 hours (42 days).
Annual leave is prorated for part-time employees in eligible positions who work a minimum of 40 hours in a pay period.[19]
Holidays State employees receive the following paid holidays[20]:
- New Year's Day
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Washington’s Birthday
- Truman Birthday
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Columbus Day
- Veteran’s Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
Other Leave Leave may also be granted for military service, disaster relief specialists or emergency services.[19]
Retirement
Retirement benefits are administered by Missouri State Employee's Retirement System (MOSERS).[21] To be eligible to participate in the MSEP 2000, you must be employed by the state in a position normally requiring you to work at least 1,040 hours per year.[22] MOSERS retirement plan is non-contributory and thus is funded only by the state. The state makes a monthly contribution to MOSERS to fund the employee's retirement.[22] The retirement benefit is based on the employee's total credited service and the employee's highest 36 consecutive months of pay; the state states that it rewards your continued employment by increasing the value of the retirement benefit for each additional year of service.[22] Governor Nixon signed legislation in July of 2010 requiring public employees contribute a portion of their salaries to the state pension fund.[23]
Deferred Compensation The State used to offer a matching contribution to employee contributions to their deferred compensation plan, but the employer incentive match was suspended at least through June 30, 2010, as a state cost-cutting measure.[24]
Other
Employee Assistant Program[25]
Pre-tax plans[26]
- The Premium Conversion Program allows employees to have certain state-sponsored insurance premiums deducted before taxes are assessed.
- The Health Care Flexible Spending Account is a State sponsored benefit program that allows employees to use pre-tax money to pay for certain medical expenses.
- The Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account allows you to save on child or elder care expenses.
- The Commuter Benefits Program allows employees to use pre-tax dollars to pay for Parking or Mass Transit/Van Pool expenses incurred while traveling to and from employment.
Disclosure
The Missouri Accountability Portal provides information about state employees pay. Users can view pay information about the employees of the State of Missouri by their Agency of employment, Position Title or Employee Name. The provides gross pay amounts by the last pay cycle and year to date.
The Better Government Association offers this database of selected public payrolls. The BGA database includes salaries of employees of the states of Missouri, Indiana, and Illinois.
Additional reading
- Public employee salary
- See sample transparency legislation at the Sunshine Standard
External links
References
- ↑ StLToday.com "Mo. Senate budget funds pay hikes, blind benefits" April 25, 2012
- ↑ Missourian, UPDATE: Missouri Senate backs pay raise for state employees, April 24, 2012
- ↑ The Council of States Governments The Book of States 2010 Table 4.11
- ↑ The Council of State Governments The Book of States 2010 Table 4.3
- ↑ ‘‘The Council of State Governments,’’ “The Book of the States: 2008”
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislators 2010 Legislator Compensation Data
- ↑ NCSL, 2012 Compensation Data, Accessed June 12, 2012
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 The National Center for State Courts, "Judicial Salary Resource Center" as of Jan. 1, 2010
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 2008 Missouri Public Employment U.S. Census Data
- ↑ The Springfield News Leader "Senators start work on budget, look for ways to avoid cutting health care funds for blind Missourians" April 5, 2012
- ↑ Columbia Business Times, Wisconsin vs. MO: Teacher compensation much different in Show-Me State | Superintendent’s View, April 29, 2011
- ↑ Columbia Business Times, Wisconsin vs. MO: Teacher compensation much different in Show-Me State | Superintendent’s View, April 29, 2011
- ↑ Columbia Business Times, Wisconsin vs. MO: Teacher compensation much different in Show-Me State | Superintendent’s View, April 29, 2011
- ↑ [2011-01-01T00%3A00%3A00Z%20TO%202012-01-01T00%3A00%3A00Z
- ↑ Plans Index
- ↑ Premiums
- ↑ Dental Insurance
- ↑ Vision Insurance
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 Types of Leave
- ↑ Hours of Work
- ↑ MOSERS Benefits
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Benefits
- ↑ Watchdog.org, New state workers to start paying into pension system next year, July 19, 2010
- ↑ Deferred Compensation
- ↑ Employee Assistance Program
- ↑ Pre-Tax Plans
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