Missouri sits at the center of the US - a logistics and financial services hub with St. Louis anchoring defense and aerospace (Boeing) and Kansas City driving tech, financial services, and a booming startup scene. The state's declining income tax and business-friendly environment make it increasingly attractive for employers. But Missouri's 7-day final pay rule and workers' comp threshold are easy to miss. WorkGenius becomes your legal employer and manages every Missouri obligation from day one.
Facts reviewed against primary sources in September 2026
| Requirement | Missouri | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage | $15.00/hr | Effective January 1, 2026 under Proposition A as amended by HB 567, which removed the annual CPI adjustment. The tipped cash wage is $7.50 |
| State income tax | 4.70% top rate | Missouri has reduced its top income tax rate through legislative action. Further reductions toward 4.5% are written into law but are triggered by state revenue thresholds rather than fixed dates, so the timing is not scheduled |
| Workers' compensation | 5+ employees | Required for employers with 5 or more employees; construction employers need it with just 1 employee |
| Final paycheck | Day of discharge | RSMo 290.110 makes wages due and payable on the day of the discharge. The rule covers discharges only; Missouri sets no deadline for a voluntary resignation |
| Missouri Human Rights Act | 6+ employees | Missouri's anti-discrimination statute covers employers with 6 or more employees |
| Paid leave mandate | None (state) | No state-mandated paid sick leave or paid family leave as of September 2026. Missouri did have earned paid sick time from May 1, 2025 until HB 567 repealed it |
Missouri's wage payment statute, RSMo 290.110, is stricter than most employers expect. Its words are that unpaid wages "shall be and become due and payable on the day of the discharge or refusal to longer employ." There is no seven-day window and no next-payday fallback: the money is due the day you let someone go. Two limits are worth knowing. The section applies only where the employer discharges an employee or refuses to employ them further, so it does not reach a voluntary resignation, for which Missouri sets no statutory deadline. And the seven days that appears in the statute is a different thing entirely: it is the window that runs after the employee makes a written request for their wages, after which the penalty begins. That penalty is the continuation of wages at the same daily rate until paid, for up to sixty days, and the statute contains no attorney fee provision.
Get Missouri-Compliant TodayMissouri's accelerating final pay rule, 5-employee workers' comp threshold, and declining income tax rate require active compliance management.
WorkGenius disburses Missouri final pay on the day of the discharge, by off-cycle payment where the payroll calendar does not line up. The deadline is never missed and the penalty clock never starts.
Missouri requires workers' comp for employers with 5 or more employees (or 1+ in construction). WorkGenius monitors headcount and ensures coverage is active before the 5-employee threshold is crossed.
Missouri's semi-monthly pay requirement in RSMo 290.080 is directed at corporations engaged in specified activities rather than at every employer, so the obligation depends on the entity and the work. WorkGenius sets a compliant pay frequency, maintains itemized pay statements, and ensures all wage obligations are met on every pay cycle.
The MHRA covers employers with 6 or more employees and prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, disability, and age. WorkGenius ensures all employment agreements and onboarding materials reflect MHRA requirements.
Missouri SUTA contributions calculated and remitted on every payroll cycle. For 2026 the new employer rate is 2.376% on the first $9,000 of each employee's wages, with 501(c)(3) nonprofits rated at 1.00% - WorkGenius registers, files and remits all contributions in the country. WorkGenius registers, files, and remits all contributions.
ACA-compliant health coverage, 401(k), and disability insurance enrolled and administered. Offboarding includes accelerated final pay, COBRA administration, and MHRA-compliant separation documentation.
Missouri is a business-friendly state with a declining income tax rate - but its 7-day final pay rule and 5-employee workers' comp threshold catch many out-of-state employers off guard. WorkGenius handles Missouri's wage payment requirements, workers' comp enrollment, and payroll automatically on every cycle.
Missouri's employer-friendly environment includes some important wage and anti-discrimination compliance requirements.
Both major Missouri metros levy a 1% earnings tax that the employer withholds: Kansas City and St. Louis. It applies to residents wherever they work, and to non-residents on work performed in the city. A company hiring into either metro on the assumption that the state rate is the whole obligation will under-withhold. WorkGenius identifies the applicable city for every Missouri employee and withholds accordingly.
RSMo 290.110 makes final wages due and payable on the day of the discharge, with no seven-day window and no next-payday fallback. It applies to discharges only, not to voluntary resignations. Late final pay continues the employee's wages at the same daily rate until paid, for up to sixty days. Missouri also requires semimonthly pay frequency for most employees.
Missouri requires workers' comp for employers with 5 or more employees in most industries - but construction employers must have coverage with just 1 employee. The 5-employee threshold applies even to part-time workers. WorkGenius monitors headcount and ensures coverage is active before the threshold is crossed.
The MHRA covers employers with 6 or more employees and prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, disability, and age. The 6-employee threshold is lower than federal Title VII's 15-employee minimum. The Missouri Commission on Human Rights handles administrative complaints.
Missouri's minimum wage is $15.00/hr, effective January 1, 2026 under Proposition A as amended by HB 567. HB 567, signed in July 2025, kept the $15.00 rate but eliminated the annual CPI adjustments Proposition A would have started in 2027, so absent new legislation the rate is now fixed. The tipped cash wage is 50% of the full rate, $7.50. WorkGenius applies the correct floor and updates it the moment it changes.
From first conversation to fully compliant employment - typically within days.
Workers, roles, locations, and start dates. We tailor the setup to your needs.
Our AI runs every worker through Missouri's classification and compliance rules. We prepare compliant contracts and payroll setup.
Onboarded with Missouri-compliant contracts, benefits enrolled, payroll running from day one.
Payroll runs on Missouri rules. Taxes filed. Compliance monitored. One weekly invoice.
On the day you discharge them. RSMo 290.110 says unpaid wages become due and payable on the day of the discharge or refusal to longer employ, so there is no seven-day window and no next-payday fallback - if your next payroll is ten days away, you issue an off-cycle payment. Two limits matter. The rule reaches discharges only: Missouri sets no statutory deadline for an employee who resigns voluntarily. And the seven days often quoted is a different mechanism - it is the window that runs after the employee makes a written request for their wages, after which unpaid wages continue at the same daily rate until paid, for up to sixty days. WorkGenius disburses final pay on the day of every Missouri discharge.
Missouri requires workers' compensation coverage for employers with 5 or more employees in most industries. The construction industry has a more stringent requirement: coverage is mandatory for any employer with 1 or more employees in construction. Part-time and seasonal workers count toward the 5-employee threshold. WorkGenius monitors headcount for all Missouri employees and ensures workers' comp coverage is active before the applicable threshold is crossed.
The Missouri Human Rights Act (MHRA) is Missouri's primary anti-discrimination statute. It covers employers with 6 or more employees - lower than federal Title VII's 15-employee minimum. The MHRA prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, disability, and age. Employees can file administrative complaints with the Missouri Commission on Human Rights and, after receiving a right-to-sue letter, pursue civil litigation. The MHRA allows recovery of compensatory damages, back pay, and attorney's fees.
Missouri's top individual income tax rate is 4.70%, down from 4.8% in 2024 and 4.95% in 2023. Missouri has enacted legislation to reduce the top rate to 4.5% when state revenue triggers are met, with further reductions scheduled after that. The rate reductions are triggered by revenue thresholds rather than fixed annual dates, so the timeline is somewhat variable. WorkGenius monitors Missouri's rate changes and updates withholding automatically when adjustments take effect.
No. Missouri has no state-mandated paid sick leave or paid family leave program. This makes Missouri one of the simpler states from a leave compliance standpoint, though it is worth noting the position is recent: Missouri did have earned paid sick time from May 1, 2025 until HB 567 repealed it, so any policy written before that repeal should be revisited. Federal FMLA unpaid leave applies for qualifying employees at employers with 50 or more employees. WorkGenius administers any voluntary PTO policy and federal FMLA as part of the employment package.
Yes, but Missouri courts apply strict scrutiny. Non-competes must be reasonable in time, geographic territory, and scope of restricted activity. Missouri courts narrow or modify an overbroad restrictive covenant to what is reasonable rather than striking it outright. Missouri does not have a statutory ban or income-based restriction on non-competes. WorkGenius drafts non-compete provisions that are carefully scoped to meet Missouri's reasonableness standard.
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