  |
In this section
Industry Profiles
“The Kansas City economy does not rise or fall on the fate of one employer or a single industry. . . . Originally a meatpacking center for the cattle industry, Kansas City today is home to international companies in financial services, agribusiness, construction and engineering, telecommunications, transportation, and manufacturing. . . . Kansas City is more diverse than the average U.S. city.”
-- WASHINGTON POST
See the latest list of the Best Places to Work in KC from the Kansas City Business Journal.
KC Careers
Whether you’re just starting your career, or looking for a C-level leadership position, you can make an impact in KC.
There are 10 Fortune 1000 companies headquartered in the KC region, and more than 25 Fortune 500 companies have a significant presence here.
Some of the nation’s most recognized brands make their home in KC – Garmin Int'l., Hallmark Cards, H&R Block, and Sprint.
Kansas City’s economy is a nearly exact reflection of the U.S. economy. This means that our economy doesn’t hinge on one or two industries. Our employers and workforce are protected from dramatic peaks and valleys experienced by other markets.
- Salaries in KC are near the U.S. Average, but our cost of living is significantly lower.
- KC added 197,000 people to its population from 2000-2010, an impressive 11% growth.
- More than 100,000 college graduates enter the KC workforce each year from regional colleges and universities.
-
KC’s unemployment rate is 8.1% (2011), compared to 8.9% nationally.
Ready to dig in? Check out the links in this section to explore your area of expertise or the career path you’d like to follow.
Employment by Occupation, 2009
Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Wages
| Average Wage Rates for Selected Occupations, 2011 | |||
| Kansas City MSA | United States | KC/US | |
| Management Occupations General & Operations Managers Sales Managers Administrative Services Managers Computer & Information Systems Managers Human Resources Managers, All Other Industrial Production Managers Transportation, Storage & Distribution Managers |
$48.57 48.38 51.87 39.62 51.43 47.26 43.28 42.49 |
$51.64 55.04 56.18 41.69 60.41 52.21 46.33 42.23 |
94 88 92 95 85 91 93 101 |
| Business & Financial Operations Occupations Claims Adjusters, Examiners & Investigators Cost Estimators Management Analysts Accountants & Auditors Credit Analysts Financial Examiners |
$31.02 29.20 31.60 37.17 29.67 30.57 42.71 |
$33.05 29.38 30.13 42.30 33.72 33.48 40.20 |
94 99 105 88 88 91 106 |
| Computer & Mathematical Occupations Computer Programmers Computer Support Specialists Computer Systems Analysts Database Administrators Network & Computer Systems Administrators Software Developers Systems Software |
$35.90 33.99 23.84 38.56 34.75 34.31 43.38 |
$37.85 36.54 24.91 39.58 37.19 35.71 48.28 |
95 93 99 99 93 96 90 |
| Architecture and Engineering Occupations Chemical Engineers Electrical Engineers Mechanical Engineers Electrical & Electronic Engineering Technicians |
$34.36 41.12 38.66 39.67 29.77 |
$37.08 47.81 42.88 40.17 27.52 |
93 86 0 99 108 |
| Life, Physical, & Social Science Occupations Food Scientists & Technologists Microbiologists Chemists Biological Technicians Chemical Technicians |
$30.65 32.62 33.22 30.70 19.81 19.14 |
$32.44 30.85 34.48 35.95 20.33 21.42 |
94 106 96 85 97 89 |
| Community & Social Services Occupations | $19.01 | $21.07 | 90 |
| Legal Occupations | $43.25 | $47.30 | 91 |
| Education, Training, & Library Occupations | $21.57 | $24.46 | 88 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, & Media Occupations | $22.13 | $25.89 | 85 |
| Healthcare Practitioners & Technical Occupations | $36.04 | $34.97 | 103 |
| Healthcare Support Occupations | $12.92 | $13.16 | 98 |
| Protective Service Occupations | $19.31 | $20.54 | 94 |
| Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations | $9.82 | $10.30 | 95 |
| Building & Grounds Cleaning & Maintenance Occupations | $12.00 | $12.29 | 98 |
| Personal Care & Service Occupations | $11.12 | $11.84 | 94 |
| Sales and Related Occupations Cashiers Counter & Rental Clerks Parts Salespersons Retail Salespersons Advertising Sales Agents Securities, Commodities, & Fin. Ser. Sales Agents Telemarketers |
$19.16 9.36 12.22 15.31 12.17 26.84 45.44 13.62 |
$18.04 9.73 12.75 15.38 12.08 26.65 47.50 12.46 |
106 96 96 100 101 101 96 109 |
| Office and Administrative Support Occupations Bill & Account Collectors Bookkeeping, Accounting, & Auditing Clerks Credit Authorizers, Checkers, & Clerks Customer Service Representatives Order Clerks Shipping, Receiving, & Traffic Clerks Stock Clerks & Order Fillers Secretaries, Except Legal, Medical, & Executive Computer Operators Data Entry Keyers Insurance Claims & Policy Processing Clerks Office Clerks, General |
$16.20 14.52 17.17 17.64 16.14 14.23 14.26 11.22 15.13 19.14 13.82 17.95 14.75 |
$16.40 16.24 17.37 17.21 15.92 14.76 14.65 11.66 15.87 18.89 13.95 17.72 13.90 |
99 89 99 102 101 97 96 95 101 101 106 |
| Farming, Fishing, & Forestry Occupations | $13.85 | $11.68 | 119 |
| Construction & Extraction Occupations | $23.58 | $21.46 | 110 |
| Installation, Maintenance, & Repair Occupations Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines Industrial Machinery Mechanics Maintenance & Repair Workers, General Maintenance Workers, Machinery |
$21.09 23.96 23.57 17.81 20.58 |
$20.86 22.48 23.09 17.75 19.77 |
101 107 102 100 104 |
| Production Occupations Electrical & Electronic Equipment Assemblers Team Assemblers Computer-Controlled Machine Tool Operators Machinists Tool & Die Makers Welders, Cutters, Solderers, & Brazers Packaging & Filling Machine Operators & Tenders Helpers, Production Workers |
$17.71 13.28 14.93 16.52 19.00 25.65 19.40 14.63 12.71 |
$16.45 15.77 14.30 17.56 19.48 23.16 18.23 13.44 11.72 |
108 84 104 94 98 111 106 109 108 |
| Transportation & Material Moving Occupations Conveyor Operators & Tenders Industrial Truck & Tractor Operators Laborers & Freight, Stock, & Material Movers, Hand Machine Feeders & Offbearers Packers & Packagers, Hand |
$15.79 14.46 15.56 12.62 16.18 10.34 |
$15.96 14.90 15.31 12.68 13.67 10.81 |
99 97 102 100 118 95 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment & Wage Estimates.
Note: This BLS program covers over 700 occupations, 600 of which are reported for the Kansas City metropolitan area. The occupations and data shown in this table reflect only a small part of the data available in the OES program. There are also OES reports for the Lawrence, KS MSA , the St. Joseph, MO MSA, and the Topeka, KS MSA. Additionally, the BLS produces an alternative wage survey for metropolitan areas called the National Compensation Survey. The Human Resource Management Association of Greater Kansas City also produces an annual salary survey.
Phone 816.221.2121 || Fax 816.842.2865 || Toll Free 888.99KCADC
Business development inquiries: || All other inquiries:
Reproduction of material from any thinkKC.com pages without written permission from the Kansas City Area Development Council is strictly prohibited. Complete copyright & trademark notice