StateRates

Kansas City salaries

The median worker in the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area earned $49,480 a year in 2024, about $23.79 an hour. That ranks #96 of the 391 metro areas published here, 0% above the national median.

Missouri Kansas

Median pay $49,480 $23.79 per hour
Vs national 0% U.S. $49,500
Workers 1,093,430 wage and salary
Metro rank #96 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Kansas City pays 6.7% more than Missouri as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.

Housing here moved +2.8% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +34.9% over five years. Pay and house prices rarely move together, and where they diverge for long the affordability of an area changes even when nothing about the jobs does. House prices in Kansas City.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents 5.23× 1,990 $47,780
New Accounts Clerks 3.45× 930 $40,040
Millwrights 3.2× 920 $75,870
Cooks, Fast Food 2.62× 12,420 $29,920
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals 2.46× 620 $38,640
Nurse Anesthetists 2.28× 820 $189,740
Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars 2.21× 590 $57,990
Information and Record Clerks, All Other 2.1× 2,140 $41,520
Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan 2.06× 2,300 $42,710
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators 1.88× 610 $70,520
Medical Equipment Repairers 1.88× 810 $58,850
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers 1.87× 2,730 $58,810

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Kansas City
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
29-1211 $235,950 $113.44 450
Chief Executives $195,850 $94.16 1,410
Nurse Anesthetists $189,740 $91.22 820
Dentists, General $179,080 $86.10 980
Computer and Information Systems Managers $160,500 $77.16 4,310
Air Traffic Controllers $159,120 $76.50 400
Architectural and Engineering Managers $158,050 $75.99 1,660
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates $150,430 $72.32 200
Financial Managers $140,650 $67.62 4,610
Pharmacists $138,400 $66.54 2,800
Sales Managers $136,740 $65.74 4,480
Purchasing Managers $136,510 $65.63 580
Natural Sciences Managers $136,510 $65.63 310
Human Resources Managers $135,620 $65.20 1,510
Commercial Pilots $134,100 n/a 280
Marketing Managers $133,860 $64.35 1,830
Optometrists $133,350 $64.11 320
Managers, All Other $132,020 $63.47 3,180
Lawyers $130,890 $62.93 5,750
Physician Assistants $128,690 $61.87 580
Nurse Practitioners $127,800 $61.44 2,000
Actuaries $127,550 $61.32 260
Database Architects $126,930 $61.03 740
Public Relations Managers $126,900 $61.01 290
Industrial Production Managers $123,030 $59.15 1,460
Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers $121,960 $58.64 240
Veterinarians $119,640 $57.52 720
Education Administrators, All Other $115,520 $55.54 220
Medical and Health Services Managers $114,990 $55.28 3,880
Software Developers $114,440 $55.02 13,940
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products $111,190 $53.46 2,550
Computer Network Architects $110,480 $53.12 1,550
Database Administrators $109,010 $52.41 520
Facilities Managers $106,900 $51.39 910
Construction Managers $106,490 $51.20 2,040
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $105,600 $50.77 750
Administrative Services Managers $104,990 $50.48 1,600
Personal Financial Advisors $104,990 $50.48 2,820
Information Security Analysts $104,230 $50.11 1,520
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $103,700 $49.85 510
Computer Occupations, All Other $103,020 $49.53 3,550
Electrical Engineers $101,700 $48.89 2,090
Computer Hardware Engineers $101,660 $48.88 220
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $101,480 $48.79 1,230
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $101,430 n/a 2,500
Mechanical Engineers $100,780 $48.45 3,700
Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary $100,420 n/a 260
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers $100,130 $48.14 920
Computer Systems Analysts $99,860 $48.01 4,290
Engineers, All Other $99,580 $47.87 560
Chemical Engineers $99,440 $47.81 360
Aerospace Engineers $99,410 $47.80 340
Physical Therapists $99,330 $47.75 1,890
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval $99,260 $47.72 1,370
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers $98,860 $47.53 750
Project Management Specialists $98,000 $47.12 6,830
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $97,880 $47.06 1,360
Occupational Therapists $97,790 $47.01 1,360
Industrial Engineers $97,660 $46.95 1,870
Civil Engineers $97,310 $46.78 3,610

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Kansas City by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
General and Operations Managers 29,820 $86,590 $41.63
Registered Nurses 28,180 $82,630 $39.73
Retail Salespersons 24,630 $33,840 $16.27
Cashiers 24,210 $29,820 $14.34
Customer Service Representatives 23,750 $42,680 $20.52
Stockers and Order Fillers 22,980 $36,950 $17.77
Fast Food and Counter Workers 21,170 $29,380 $14.12
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 21,170 $40,370 $19.41
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 20,210 $29,930 $14.39
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 18,230 $58,590 $28.17
Waiters and Waitresses 18,000 $29,210 $14.04
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 15,860 $47,830 $22.99
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 15,260 $44,730 $21.50
Software Developers 13,940 $114,440 $55.02
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 13,360 $59,140 n/a
Nursing Assistants 13,040 $39,130 $18.81
Cooks, Fast Food 12,420 $29,920 $14.38
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 11,950 $35,250 $16.95
Office Clerks, General 11,650 $43,900 $21.11
Accountants and Auditors 11,370 $79,340 $38.15

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.

Other Missouri metro areas

Kansas City pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Kansas City?

The median across all occupations is $49,480, or $23.79 an hour, covering 1,093,430 wage and salary workers. The mean is $64,030, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Kansas City pay more than the rest of Missouri?

Yes. The metro median of $49,480 is 6.7% above the Missouri median of $46,390. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.

Which jobs pay best in Kansas City?

29-1211 ($235,950), Chief Executives ($195,850), Nurse Anesthetists ($189,740). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Kansas City unusually full of?

Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents, at 5.23× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.