Salaries · United States · Kansas
Salaries in Kansas 2026
The median pay for all jobs in Kansas is $48,010 a year ($23.08 an hour), 6% below the US median of $50,980 (BLS, May 2025): the 34th highest of the 50 states and DC. Full-time workers living in Kansas earn a median of $56,525 (Census ACS 2020 to 2024).
By Dominic Roworth · From BLS, Census and BEA data, checked 31 October 2026
Pay in Kansas: the key figures
| Figure | Kansas | United States | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, all jobs | $48,010 | $50,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Average (mean) pay | $60,640 | $69,770 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lowest-paid 10% earn under | $28,530 | $31,200 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Highest-paid 10% earn over | $103,250 | $128,560 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Jobs counted | 1,437,520 | 155,495,730 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Full-time workers living here, median | $56,525 ± $333 | $61,657 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B20018 |
| Median household income | $74,275 ± $475 | $80,734 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B19013 |
| Price level (US = 100) | 90.1 | 100.0 | BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 |
| Minimum wage | $7.25 | $7.25 | State labor department |
Take-home pay on the median
On $48,010, a single person keeps about $38,877 a year ($3,240 a month) after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, Kansas income tax. With prices 10% below the US average, $48,010 here buys what $53,300 buys at average US prices.
| Median pay | $48,010 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | -$3,581 |
| Social Security | -$2,977 |
| Medicare | -$696 |
| Kansas income tax | -$1,879 |
| Take-home a year | $38,877 |
What drives pay in Kansas
Kansas is an aircraft and food state, and both industries sit in a place with low prices. Manufacturing made up 15.1% of GDP in 2025 (US 9.5%), and BEA's other transportation equipment category, which includes aircraft, was 2.9% against 0.7% nationally. The Kansas Department of Commerce calls Wichita the Air Capital of the World, says the state has the largest concentration of aviation workers in the US and builds about a third of all general aviation planes made in the country, with Textron Aviation (Beechcraft and Cessna) and Bombardier Learjet among the makers. Aerospace product and parts manufacturing employed 31,800 people in Kansas in 2025, up from 24,600 in 2021 (BLS data via the St. Louis Fed).
Food is the other pillar. Food and beverage manufacturing is 3.5% of GDP (US 1.2%) and farms 2.8% (US 0.7%), and the department says food makes up 21% of Kansas manufacturing and that agriculture and food industries support about 103,000 jobs.
Those are not the most common jobs, though. Fast food and counter workers top the list (47,140, median $27,580), followed by registered nurses ($79,320) and retail salespersons ($32,180), and the all-jobs median is $48,010, 6% below the US and 34th of the 50 states and DC.
Growth has been slow: real GDP rose 5.3% between 2019 and 2025, about a third of the US rate of 15.6%. The largest economic development project in Kansas history, according to the state, is Panasonic's $4 billion electric vehicle battery plant in De Soto, which opened in July 2025 with about 1,000 staff and is expected to create up to 4,000 jobs.
The highest-paid jobs in Kansas
Median annual pay, for jobs with at least 1,000 workers in the state (BLS, May 2025).
| Job | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 5,230 | $221,540 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 4,050 | $164,830 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 2,010 | $160,150 |
| Sales Managers | 6,820 | $159,990 |
| Financial Managers | 5,190 | $159,380 |
| Chief Executives | 1,960 | $158,100 |
| Marketing Managers | 1,570 | $154,510 |
| Pharmacists | 3,500 | $137,800 |
| Human Resources Managers | 1,290 | $134,470 |
| Managers, All Other | 2,690 | $131,710 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | 2,440 | $130,850 |
| Aerospace Engineers | 1,730 | $130,330 |
| Nurse Practitioners | 3,780 | $126,650 |
| Industrial Production Managers | 2,420 | $125,750 |
| Construction Managers | 2,960 | $120,810 |
The most common jobs in Kansas
The jobs with the most workers, and what they pay.
| Job | Workers | Median a year | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 47,140 | $27,580 | $13.26 |
| Registered Nurses | 33,800 | $79,320 | $38.14 |
| Retail Salespersons | 33,360 | $32,180 | $15.47 |
| Cashiers | 33,080 | $28,800 | $13.85 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 32,120 | $42,270 | $20.32 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 29,200 | $40,320 | $19.39 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 26,750 | $35,450 | $17.04 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 25,350 | $31,260 | $15.03 |
| General and Operations Managers | 24,660 | $92,840 | $44.63 |
| Nursing Assistants | 24,610 | $38,010 | $18.27 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 24,220 | $58,920 | $28.33 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 23,270 | $40,250 | $19.35 |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 20,000 | $29,490 | yearly pay only |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 19,480 | $36,120 | $17.36 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 17,220 | $34,480 | $16.58 |
Pay for careers we cover, in Kansas
Official BLS medians for Kansas; each links to the full salary guide with pay by state.
| Career | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetist | 910 | $212,090 |
| Air Traffic Controller | 430 | $159,700 |
| Pharmacist | 3,500 | $137,800 |
| Aerospace Engineer | 1,730 | $130,330 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 3,780 | $126,650 |
| Physician Assistant | 890 | $125,640 |
| Actuary | 180 | $125,010 |
| Software Engineer | 13,580 | $113,420 |
| Lawyer | 4,190 | $106,650 |
| Commercial Pilot | 680 | $105,440 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | 1,830 | $100,620 |
| Project Manager | 6,030 | $100,010 |
| Data Scientist | 490 | $98,130 |
| Financial Analyst | 1,870 | $84,860 |
| Elevator Technician | 70 | $84,760 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | 1,440 | $80,270 |
| Registered Nurse | 33,800 | $79,320 |
| Accountant | 13,610 | $79,000 |
| UX Designer | 200 | $70,620 |
| Compliance Officer | 3,560 | $69,740 |
| Electrician | 6,350 | $65,860 |
| Plumber | 4,590 | $65,220 |
| HVAC Technician | 3,770 | $60,460 |
| Paralegal | 2,210 | $55,000 |
| Welder | 6,370 | $49,410 |
Kansas and its neighbors
| State | Median pay | Price level | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | $48,010 | 90.1 | $53,300 |
| Colorado | $59,800 | 103.1 | $58,000 |
| Missouri | $47,800 | 90.8 | $52,600 |
| Nebraska | $48,980 | 90.1 | $54,400 |
| Oklahoma | $45,600 | 87.8 | $51,900 |
Limits
BLS figures cover jobs located in Kansas, not the self-employed; Census figures cover people who live here. Take-home assumes a single filer with the standard deduction. More in our methodology.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state file)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (tables B20018 and B19013)
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state (table SARPP), 2024
- Take-home pay: Paygrade's 2026 federal and state tax engine, see the methodology.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: GDP by state and industry, 2025 (industry shares and growth rates are our calculation), data last updated 30 Sep 2026
- Kansas Department of Commerce: Aerospace and Defense in Kansas, undated page, accessed 31 Oct 2026
- Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), series SMU20000003133640001A, from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, annual data to 2025, accessed 31 Oct 2026
- Kansas Department of Commerce: Food Processing, undated page, accessed 31 Oct 2026
- Kansas Department of Commerce: Governor Kelly Celebrates Grand Opening of Panasonic EV Battery Manufacturing Facility in De Soto, 14 Jul 2025
Related
- Salary comparison by city: what a salary is worth in another US city
- Salaries in the United States