State salary profile · Kansas

Kansas Salaries

Kansas wages where BEA prices sit below the national average (RPP 90.1), from BLS OEWS May 2025. Published local OEWS areas include Kansas nonmetropolitan area, Lawrence, KS, Manhattan, KS, Topeka, KS, Wichita, KS.

$158,677
Mean of top 50 medians
667
Occupations
5
Local wage areas
71,360
Estimated jobs (top tier)

The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians in Kansas is $158,677.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, The May 2025 release has a published median for 667 occupations in Kansas; percentile boundaries and local-area rows are available only where BLS publishes them. The highest-paying reported occupation, Anesthesiologists, earns $437,030, versus $25,280 for Physical Therapist Aides at the bottom of the range. Detail is available for 4 metro areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area. Published local OEWS areas include Kansas nonmetropolitan area, Lawrence, KS, Manhattan, KS, Topeka, KS, Wichita, KS.

Kansas · employment ≠ wage

In Kansas, Fast Food and Counter Workers lead by published employment (47,140 jobs, #1 of 643) but rank #634 of 643 on median wage ($27,580), while Anesthesiologists top the wage list at $437,030 (#1 of 643) with 600 jobs (#320 of 643). The largest payroll is not the highest published median.

47,140
Fast Food and Counter Work... employment #1
$437,030
Anesthesiologists wage #1
#320
Employment rank of wage leader
#634
Wage rank of employment leader

Employment is OEWS tot_emp inside this state; pay is the occupation median. Same detailed-occupation pool, two rankings.

Employment of Kansas's #1 occupations by headcount vs median wage

Same unit (published jobs) for both named leaders. BLS OEWS May 2025.

jobs

What this shows Fast Food and Counter Workers lead Kansas by employment; Anesthesiologists lead on median wage at $437,030.

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

Kansas, the picture in one line

Kansas ranks #41 of 54 states and territories by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage; its highest published occupation median is Anesthesiologists at $437,030. Published local OEWS areas include Kansas nonmetropolitan area, Lawrence, KS, Manhattan, KS, Topeka, KS, Wichita, KS.

#41
of 54 states by published mean wage
$437,030
top-paying: Anesthesiologists
24th
percentile among all states
Kansas nonmetropolitan area
local OEWS: Kansas nonmetropolitan area and Lawrence, KS

The state rank uses BLS's All Occupations mean. Occupation rows below use occupation-specific medians; the two statistics are not interchangeable. Start local checks in Kansas nonmetropolitan area.

Where Kansas already employs the upper wage tier

Software Developers and Sales Managers lead Kansas's published employment inside this top-pay sample, order follows OEWS job counts, not median wage.

  1. 1. Software Developers 13,580 jobs · $113,420
  2. 2. Sales Managers 6,820 jobs · $159,990
  3. 3. Physicians, All Other 5,230 jobs · $221,540
  4. 4. Financial Managers 5,190 jobs · $159,380
  5. 5. Computer and Information Systems Managers 4,050 jobs · $164,830
  6. 6. Nurse Practitioners 3,780 jobs · $126,650
  7. 7. Pharmacists 3,500 jobs · $137,800
  8. 8. Construction Managers 2,960 jobs · $120,810
  9. 9. Managers, All Other 2,690 jobs · $131,710
  10. 10. Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products 2,440 jobs · $130,850
  11. 11. Industrial Production Managers 2,420 jobs · $125,750
  12. 12. Architectural and Engineering Managers 2,010 jobs · $160,150
  13. 13. Chief Executives 1,960 jobs · $158,100
  14. 14. Aerospace Engineers 1,730 jobs · $130,330
  15. 15. Marketing Managers 1,570 jobs · $154,510
  16. 16. Human Resources Managers 1,290 jobs · $134,470
  17. 17. Administrative Services Managers 1,150 jobs · $118,570
  18. 18. Facilities Managers 1,080 jobs · $117,270
  19. 19. Purchasing Managers 920 jobs · $159,850
  20. 20. Nurse Anesthetists 910 jobs · $212,090

Local BLS wage areas inside Kansas

Published local OEWS areas include Kansas nonmetropolitan area, Lawrence, KS, Manhattan, KS, Topeka, KS, Wichita, KS.

Kansas nonmetropolitan area Lawrence, KS Manhattan, KS Topeka, KS Wichita, KS

Observed statewide pay change

What changed, BLS OEWS 2024–2025

May 2024 → May 2025
  • BLS's published All Occupations median in Kansas moved from $46,850 in May 2024 to $48,010 in May 2025 (+2.5%).
  • Across the 54 states and territories priced in both releases, the median place changed +2.7%.
  • Kansas sits -0.3 pp near that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.

Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers shows the widest statewide vs national median gap in Kansas

Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers publishes $48,080 here versus $38,300 nationally (+25.5%; 5,000statewide jobs). Next is Packers and Packagers, Hand at $44,460 locally versus $36,280 nationally (+22.5%).

  1. Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers$48,080 in Kansas sits 25.5% above the national Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers median of $38,300 (5,000 published local jobs).
  2. Packers and Packagers, Hand$44,460 in Kansas sits 22.5% above the national Packers and Packagers, Hand median of $36,280 (9,900 published local jobs).
  3. Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers$59,230 in Kansas sits 22.3% below the national Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers median of $76,210 (6,130 published local jobs).
  4. Management Analysts$81,210 in Kansas sits 20.3% below the national Management Analysts median of $101,860 (5,280 published local jobs).

Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers and the other occupations above are descriptive OEWS endpoints for Kansas; they are not findings about taxes, employers, or worker experience.

· Source: BLS OEWS May 2025

The Kansas OEWS table has a published median for 667 occupations. The displayed top 50 rows have summed published employment of approximately 71,360; that sum does not include the bottom table or rows whose employment is suppressed. BLS publishes means and percentile boundaries only where the corresponding estimate meets its publication standards. Averaging the medians of the top 50 highest-paying occupations gives $158,677 per year. That is only a mean of the displayed upper-tier occupation medians; it is not the BLS All Occupations mean or median and does not describe a typical worker. Published local OEWS areas include Kansas nonmetropolitan area, Lawrence, KS, Manhattan, KS, Topeka, KS, Wichita, KS. Local OEWS areas in this extract include Kansas nonmetropolitan area, Lawrence, KS, Manhattan, KS, Topeka, KS, Wichita, KS.

At the top of the ranking, Anesthesiologists pays a Kansas median of $437,030, the highest-paying reported occupation in the state. The number-two spot goes to Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric at $311,630, followed by Psychiatrists at $278,100. At the bottom of the published range, Physical Therapist Aides has a median of $25,280, making the displayed endpoint ratio 17.3×. The endpoints do not establish a cause or career stage. WageDex has BLS occupation rows for 4 metro areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area assigned to Kansas, allowing comparisons below the statewide estimate without treating nonmetropolitan areas as MSAs.

Kansas's lower BEA price level (RPP 90.1) lifts the national-price reading of the published mean to about $67,303. Even then, compare Anesthesiologists and Physical Therapist Aides inside a local OEWS area before treating either median as an offer. Published local OEWS areas include Kansas nonmetropolitan area, Lawrence, KS, Manhattan, KS, Topeka, KS, Wichita, KS. Local OEWS area names are state-specific; statewide means are not metro offers.

Top-Tier Sample

75

occupations shown below

Avg. Median Salary

$158,677

top 50 occupations

Top Salary

$437,030

Anesthesiologists

Where Kansas ranks by published mean wage

BLS All Occupations annual mean vs. 54 states & territories; local OEWS includes Kansas nonmetropolitan area and Lawrence, KS, Manhattan, KS

$60,640 Bottom 24% higher than 24% of 54 states & territories

$0–$5,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Below this entry. $55,000–$60,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Below this entry. $60,000–$65,000: 16 states & territories (30%). This entry sits in this band. $65,000–$70,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Above this entry. $70,000–$75,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Above this entry. $75,000–$80,000: 4 states & territories (7%). Above this entry. $80,000–$85,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Above this entry. $85,000–$90,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. $90,000–$95,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $95,000–$100,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $100,000–$105,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $105,000–$110,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $110,000–$115,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. This state $0 $115,000 every state & territory, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
Band Count Share
$0–$5,000 0 states & territories 0%
$5,000–$10,000 0 states & territories 0%
$10,000–$15,000 0 states & territories 0%
$15,000–$20,000 0 states & territories 0%
$20,000–$25,000 0 states & territories 0%
$25,000–$30,000 0 states & territories 0%
$30,000–$35,000 0 states & territories 0%
$35,000–$40,000 1 states & territories 2%
$40,000–$45,000 0 states & territories 0%
$45,000–$50,000 1 states & territories 2%
$50,000–$55,000 3 states & territories 6%
$55,000–$60,000 8 states & territories 15%
$60,000–$65,000 (this entry) 16 states & territories 30%
$65,000–$70,000 8 states & territories 15%
$70,000–$75,000 8 states & territories 15%
$75,000–$80,000 4 states & territories 7%
$80,000–$85,000 3 states & territories 6%
$85,000–$90,000 1 states & territories 2%
$90,000–$95,000 0 states & territories 0%
$95,000–$100,000 0 states & territories 0%
$100,000–$105,000 0 states & territories 0%
$105,000–$110,000 0 states & territories 0%
$110,000–$115,000 1 states & territories 2%

$60,640 · 24th percentile of 54 states & territories

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

Kansas ranks #41 of 54 by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage ($60,640). It is not the median wage or a prediction for a particular worker.

National-price-equivalent mean: dividing the $60,640 BLS All Occupations mean by the BEA state RPP gives $67,303. Inputs: BEA Regional Price Parity for Kansas (RPP 90.1, 2024; 100 = national average, all items, table SARPP). The division is a WageDex calculation, not an after-tax or household-income measure.

Largest OEWS footprints in Kansas

Published employment among the top-pay sample, top 15 by jobs

jobs
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

BLS publishes wage data for 667 distinct occupations in Kansas. The table below shows the top 50 by median annual wage, reordered by published employment for this reading. Drill into the full top-100 ranking or the fastest-growing list for deeper coverage.

Top-pay occupations in Kansas, by employment

View all 100 →

Same top-pay sample as the salary ranking, sorted by published Kansas jobs so the title sequence follows the local OEWS mix.

# Occupation Median Salary
1 Software Developers $113,420
2 Sales Managers $159,990
3 Physicians, All Other $221,540
4 Financial Managers $159,380
5 Computer and Information Systems Managers $164,830
6 Nurse Practitioners $126,650
7 Pharmacists $137,800
8 Construction Managers $120,810
9 Managers, All Other $131,710
10 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products $130,850
11 Industrial Production Managers $125,750
12 Architectural and Engineering Managers $160,150
13 Chief Executives $158,100
14 Aerospace Engineers $130,330
15 Marketing Managers $154,510
16 Human Resources Managers $134,470
17 Administrative Services Managers $118,570
18 Facilities Managers $117,270
19 Purchasing Managers $159,850
20 Nurse Anesthetists $212,090
21 Physician Assistants $125,640
22 Optometrists $138,580
23 Anesthesiologists $437,030
24 Air Traffic Controllers $159,700
25 Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates $148,910
26 Database Architects $129,990
27 Public Relations Managers $129,760
28 Education Administrators, All Other $117,810
29 Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary $115,160
30 Natural Sciences Managers $153,820
31 Training and Development Managers $130,330
32 Family Medicine Physicians $229,390
33 Actuaries $125,010
34 Fundraising Managers $121,210
35 Pediatricians, General $209,840
36 Petroleum Engineers $115,640
37 Power Distributors and Dispatchers $116,810
38 Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers $143,580
39 Economists $138,790
40 Compensation and Benefits Managers $114,070
41 Psychiatrists $278,100
42 Law Teachers, Postsecondary $138,670
43 Medical Dosimetrists $150,670
44 Advertising and Promotions Managers $148,560
45 Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers $126,570
46 Materials Scientists $115,490
47 Physicians, Pathologists $224,280
48 Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric $311,630
49 Obstetricians and Gynecologists $220,770
50 Radiologists $179,990

Lowest Paying Jobs in Kansas

Occupation Median Salary
Physical Therapist Aides $25,280
Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials $25,780
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators $25,830
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers $26,300
Amusement and Recreation Attendants $26,410
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers $26,690
Taxi Drivers $26,970
Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers $27,110
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers $27,220
Cooks, Short Order $27,400
Fast Food and Counter Workers $27,580
Baggage Porters and Bellhops $27,870
Bartenders $27,940
Dishwashers $28,060
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop $28,110
Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants $28,520
Cooks, Fast Food $28,640
Cashiers $28,800
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant $29,040
Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials $29,110
Childcare Workers $29,240
School Bus Monitors $29,420
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary $29,490
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists $29,710
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks $29,750

Fastest Growing Jobs

View all 50 →

See national growth projections alongside the published OEWS state employment estimates for each occupation in Kansas. Based on BLS employment projections 2024-2034.

Metro and Nonmetropolitan Wage Areas in Kansas

Kansas nonmetropolitan area Lawrence, KS Manhattan, KS Topeka, KS Wichita, KS

Salary Guides

Best States for Salaries

Which states pay the most and why

Salary vs. Cost of Living

Compare local wage and price-level benchmarks

Fastest Growing Occupations

Where the job growth is heading

Nationwide states with similar All Occupations pay or employment scale

Two BLS OEWS peer sets outside Kansas. Local metro cards below stay inside this state; these neighborhoods are cross-state nearest neighbors on published All Occupations mean wage ($60,640 here) and reported employment (1,437,520 jobs here).

Similar mean wage

Nearest other states by BLS All Occupations annual mean wage.

Similar employment scale

Nearest headcount peers (floor 250,000 All Occupations jobs), distinct from the mean-wage column.

Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS All Occupations mean annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude states already listed in the mean-wage column so the two link sets stay distinct.

Local OEWS areas and related Kansas pages

Published local OEWS areas include Kansas nonmetropolitan area, Lawrence, KS, Manhattan, KS, Topeka, KS, Wichita, KS.

Kansas nonmetropolitan area

Local OEWS wage area

Lawrence, KS

Local OEWS wage area

Manhattan, KS

Local OEWS wage area

Topeka, KS

Local OEWS wage area

Wichita, KS

Local OEWS wage area

Highest Paying in Kansas

Top 100 by median salary

Fastest Growing in Kansas

Projected 2024-2034 growth

Anesthesiologists

National occupation profile

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average of the top 50 occupation medians in Kansas? ▼
The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians is $158,677/year (BLS OEWS May 2025). It is not the statewide mean or median and does not describe the wage of a typical worker.
What is the average salary in Kansas? ▼
BLS publishes an All Occupations annual mean wage of $60,640/year for Kansas in the May 2025 OEWS release, which ranks 41st among the 54 states and territories with a published mean. Published local OEWS areas include Kansas nonmetropolitan area, Lawrence, KS, Manhattan, KS, Topeka, KS, Wichita, KS. This is an occupational wage estimate, not a household-income statistic or a prediction for one worker.
What is the highest paying job in Kansas? ▼
The highest paying occupation in Kansas is Anesthesiologists with a median salary of $437,030/year according to BLS data. The second highest is Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric at $311,630/year.
What jobs pay the least in Kansas? ▼
The lowest published occupation median in this Kansas ranking is Physical Therapist Aides at $25,280/year. The table does not classify that occupation as entry-level or explain why its median is lowest.
How many local BLS wage areas are shown for Kansas? ▼
WageDex has occupation-level wage rows for 4 metro areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area assigned to Kansas. Published local OEWS areas include Kansas nonmetropolitan area, Lawrence, KS, Manhattan, KS, Topeka, KS, Wichita, KS. Nonmetropolitan reporting areas are not MSAs. Compare the same occupation and statistic across areas; published coverage can differ by occupation and geography.
How many occupations are shown for Kansas? ▼
BLS publishes wage data for 667 distinct occupations in Kansas. The 50 occupations in the displayed upper tier have a combined OEWS employment estimate of approximately 71,360 jobs in covered establishments.

Price-level sources for Kansas

BLS OEWS state wage tables → BEA Regional Price Parities → BLS LAUS unemployment → BEA personal income by state →

What to do with this data

How to use Kansas wage data in a real decision

  • Kansas prices sit below the national BEA average (RPP 90.1), so the published $60,640 mean is closer to $67,303 nationally; still re-check Anesthesiologists inside Kansas nonmetropolitan area and Lawrence, KS before relocating. Compare states
  • Inside Kansas, re-check Anesthesiologists in Kansas nonmetropolitan area, Lawrence, KS, Manhattan, KS, Topeka, KS or Wichita, KS before treating the statewide median as a metro offer. Kansas nonmetropolitan area
  • Open Anesthesiologists for percentile bands and local-area rows; Kansas's statewide median of $437,030 uses a different geography than any single metro estimate. Anesthesiologists
  • The published Kansas range runs from Physical Therapist Aides at $25,280 to Anesthesiologists at $437,030; an offer still depends on the exact role and employer. Salary calculator

BLS OEWS estimates reflect the May 2025 reference period and exclude self-employed workers; some small occupation-area cells are suppressed.

Last updated: May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

State-level employment totals and local-area breakouts from BLS OEWS State and Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, May 2025. Local areas can be metropolitan or nonmetropolitan.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. State wage figures are computed directly from BLS OEWS state-level data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Statewide figures are estimates and may not reflect pay in your specific local wage area or employer.