in spite of the fact you have a degree and a good paying job, your age IS a major stumbling block.  As you stated, many providers simply will not see you because of your age.  Regardless of how mature you might think you are, that number (your age) will work against you.

IMHO, at your age, you should be hitting on civvie girls rather than escorts.  That's what I would be doing, were I still 21, which I'm obviously not, and haven't been for quite a long time.  If you are really interested in seeing an escort, keep trying.  Sooner or later, you will probably find one who will see young guys like yourself.  

Since you have no references, be prepared to give some personal information so she can screen you, assuming you stumble on a provider willing to see you.  If you are not willing to do that, then waiting a few years would seem to be your only alternative.

Hope this helps.
Swim

Very smart post.  I would only add that you might want to try phone contact.  I would not go directly to a provider, but rather to an agency given the circumstances.  You need to find a good, reputable one.  (I did not find any agency reviews in St. Louis, but some careful search engine research -- or a trip up to Chicago -- might help.)  I would explain the situation to a live human being, and see if you can get anywhere.

... and there WILL be some enterprising lady out there somewhere who will want it!

Especially if you are willing to provide full real name, address, employment verification, etc. -- you CAN see some providers without other references.

And, of course, those providers will be able to provide references as well.

Because I see a relatively small number of providers, current references can sometimes be difficult for me. But, so far, I've never had an issue.

Here's a thought. Get some friends together, plan a Vegas trip. There are a lot of great women there, and I can guarantee someone will see you. When you plan on seeing someone out there, make sure you plan to have your friends out gambling, and you can sneak off for an hour or two, and just tell them you hit another casino, or ran into someone you haven't seen since college or high school. If you join Datecheck, you can help yourself even more with the Vegas women, as they have one more verification piece in place.

You should sign up for a screening service.

It can help you connect with providers too which is a great benefit. I use preferred411. A quick search on there shows a number of providers in St. Louis, and many that communicate via e-mail. You should check it out.

And you should check the provider's website to see if they have age restrictions. They'll often mention it there.