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Average Salary in Kansas
This page shows what jobs actually pay in Kansas, occupation by occupation, from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for May 2024. BLS publishes wage estimates for 655 occupations in Kansas. For context, the U.S. all-occupation mean annual wage in May 2024 was $67,920, the median wage was $23.80 an hour, and total U.S. employment covered by the survey was 154,187,380 jobs. Use the tables below to see Kansas's highest-paying occupations, its largest occupations, and which Kansas jobs pay more — or less — than the same job nationally.
Highest-paying occupations in Kansas
The highest-paying occupation BLS publishes for Kansas is orthopedic surgeons, except pediatric, with a mean annual wage of $239,200+ — 441.9% higher than the U.S. all-occupation mean of $67,920 — and a median wage of $239,200+ across 40 jobs. Compared with the same occupation nationally (mean $239,200+), Kansas pays 0.8% higher for this work. Next on the list are anesthesiologists at a mean of $239,200+ and psychiatrists at $239,200+. These top-paying fields are small: together the top three employ 690 people in Kansas, so they describe the top of the Kansas wage ladder rather than the typical worker's experience.
| Occupation | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | 40 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Anesthesiologists | 570 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Psychiatrists | 80 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 140 | $114.04 | $237,200 | $239,200+ |
| Neurologists | 150 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Pediatricians, General | 150 | $93.66 | $194,810 | $216,240 |
| Physicians, All Other | 4,290 | $67.46 | $140,330 | $209,280 |
| Chief Executives | 2,540 | $74.38 | $154,700 | $196,580 |
| Podiatrists | 40 | $81.28 | $169,060 | $174,910 |
| Dentists, General | 1,240 | $81.78 | $170,090 | $172,120 |
| Personal Financial Advisors | 3,130 | $48.47 | $100,810 | $164,480 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 280 | $76.01 | $158,100 | $163,250 |
| Sales Managers | 4,940 | $72.81 | $151,440 | $163,080 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 3,590 | $74.44 | $154,830 | $163,000 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 1,740 | $70.69 | $147,020 | $159,940 |
Largest occupations in Kansas
The occupation with the most jobs in Kansas is fast food and counter workers, employing an estimated 45,420 people at a median annual wage of $27,000 and a mean of $26,800. Nationally the same occupation pays a median of $30,480, so Kansas's typical pay for this work runs 11.4% lower. The next-largest occupations are cashiers (35,100 jobs, median $27,580) and registered nurses (32,640 jobs, median $78,060). Because these occupations are so large, their wages move the overall picture of Kansas pay far more than the small, highly paid fields above.
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual | Mean annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 45,420 | $27,000 | $26,800 |
| Cashiers | 35,100 | $27,580 | $27,420 |
| Registered Nurses | 32,640 | $78,060 | $79,430 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 32,250 | $38,330 | $41,540 |
| Retail Salespersons | 30,390 | $31,670 | $35,720 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 28,500 | $39,000 | $40,330 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 27,020 | $35,830 | $36,910 |
| General and Operations Managers | 25,500 | $85,600 | $107,240 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 25,050 | $29,190 | $30,260 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 24,580 | $39,960 | $41,220 |
| Nursing Assistants | 23,950 | $36,910 | $38,600 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 23,250 | $56,940 | $59,350 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 20,290 | $31,560 | $35,080 |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 19,770 | $27,960 | $28,080 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 19,450 | $45,920 | $46,030 |
Where Kansas pays a premium — and where it lags
Comparing each occupation's Kansas median with its own national median shows where Kansas's labor market is strong. Among occupations with at least 1,000 Kansas jobs, the largest premium is for sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products: a median of $123,560 in Kansas versus $100,070 nationally, 23.5% higher. The largest discount is for physicians, all other, at $140,330 in Kansas versus $239,200 nationally, 41.3% lower. In total, 33 of the 246 occupations with 1,000 or more Kansas jobs pay a median above their national median. Separately, 196 of the 655 occupations published for Kansas have a median annual wage above the U.S. all-occupation mean of $67,920, which underlines how much of Kansas's job base sits in lower-wage service work even in a state with high-paying headline jobs.
| Occupation | Kansas median | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | $123,560 | $100,070 | +23.5% |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | $46,020 | $37,700 | +22.1% |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | $47,310 | $39,790 | +18.9% |
| Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | $55,930 | $47,460 | +17.8% |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | $45,070 | $38,420 | +17.3% |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $68,180 | $93,580 | -27.1% |
| Office Clerks, General | $31,170 | $43,630 | -28.6% |
| Logisticians | $51,430 | $80,880 | -36.4% |
| Financial Specialists, All Other | $50,660 | $80,190 | -36.8% |
| Physicians, All Other | $140,330 | $239,200 | -41.3% |
Kansas salary FAQ
What is the highest-paying job in Kansas?
By average pay, orthopedic surgeons, except pediatric is the highest-paying occupation BLS publishes for Kansas, with a mean annual wage of $239,200+ and a median of $239,200+ in May 2024.
What is the average salary in Kansas?
For context, the U.S. all-occupation mean annual wage was $67,920 in May 2024. In Kansas, the largest occupation, fast food and counter workers, paid a median of $27,000 across 45,420 jobs, and the tables on this page show mean and median pay for all 655 published occupations.
How many jobs does the largest occupation in Kansas have?
Fast Food and Counter Workers is the largest occupation published for Kansas, with an estimated 45,420 jobs in May 2024 and a mean annual wage of $26,800.
Which occupations pay more in Kansas than in the U.S. overall?
Among occupations with at least 1,000 Kansas jobs, sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products shows the largest premium: a median of $123,560 in Kansas versus $100,070 nationally, 23.5% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Figures checked October 2026.