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Industry Profiles
-- 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 – Hallmark Cards, H&R Block, Lee Jeans and Sprint-Nextel.
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 higher than the U.S. average, and the cost of living is significantly lower.
- KC added 142,000 people to its population from 2000-2007, more than St. Louis.
- More than 100,000 college graduates enter the KC workforce each year from regional colleges and universities.
- Job growth in KC was 2.47% and the unemployment rate was 5.0% (August 2007)
- Salaries in KC are higher than the U.S. average, and the cost of living is significantly lower (yes, we know we said that twice)
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, 2007
Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Wages 2008
| Average Wage Rates for Selected Occupations, 2008 | |||
| 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 Construction Managers |
$46.53 46.75 51.68 37.40 50.69 45.68 45.22 40.01 |
$48.23 51.91 53.07 38.22 57.07 49.96 43.85 40.64 |
96 90 97 98 89 91 96 98 |
| Business & Financial Operations Occupations Claims Adjusters, Examiners & Investigators Cost Estimators Management Analysts Accountants & Auditors Credit Analysts Financial Examiners |
$29.46 27.41 29.14 37.12 27.50 28.28 39.02 |
$31.12 27.67 29.00 39.87 31.65 31.05 37.59 |
95 99 100 93 87 91 104 |
| Computer & Mathematical Occupations Computer Programmers Computer Software Engineers, System Software Computer Support Specialists Computer Systems Analysts Database Administrators Network & Computer Systems Administrators Network Systems & Data Communications Analysts |
$32.62 35.20 37.31 21.14 33.82 31.65 30.68 33.58 |
$35.82 35.32 45.44 22.29 37.90 35.05 33.45 35.50 |
91 100 82 95 89 90 92 95 |
| Architecture and Engineering Occupations Chemical Engineers Electrical Engineers Mechanical Engineers Electrical & Electronic Engineering Technicians |
$32.50 36.03 39.45 35.17 26.73 |
$34.34 42.67 41.04 37.59 25.96 |
95 84 96 94 103 |
| Life, Physical, & Social Science Occupations Food Scientists & Technologists Microbiologists Chemists Market Research Analysts Biological Technicians Chemical Technicians |
$28.79 29.20 28.36 30.69 30.06 16.40 20.07 |
$30.90 31.06 33.73 34.17 32.37 19.67 21.02 |
93 94 84 90 93 84 95 |
| Community & Social Services Occupations | $18.51 | $20.09 | 92 |
| Legal Occupations | $40.06 | $44.36 | 90 |
| Education, Training, & Library Occupations | $20.27 | $22.30 | 87 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, & Media Occupations | $23.12 | $24.36 | 95 |
| Healthcare Practitioners & Technical Occupations | $31.18 | $32.64 | 96 |
| Healthcare Support Occupations | $12.80 | $12.66 | 101 |
| Protective Service Occupations | $18.76 | $19.33 | 97 |
| Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations | $9.49 | $9.72 | 98 |
| Building & Grounds Cleaning & Maintenance Occupations | $11.60 | $11.72 | 99 |
| Personal Care & Service Occupations | $10.80 | $11.59 | 93 |
| Sales and Related Occupations Cashiers Counter & Rental Clerks Parts Salespersons Retail Salespersons Advertising Sales Agents Securities, Commodities, & Fin. Ser. Sales Agents Telemarketers |
$18.80 8.84 12.17 15.93 12.20 24.54 50.50 12.67 |
$17.35 9.08 11.47 14.83 12.04 25.56 44.26 11.91 |
108 97 104 107 101 96 114 106 |
| 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 |
$15.42 14.56 16.12 16.74 15.11 13.35 14.53 10.96 14.02 17.13 13.61 17.09 13.83 |
$15.49 15.47 16.25 15.37 15.28 14.08 14.03 11.13 14.42 17.82 13.04 16.75 12.90 |
100 94 99 109 99 95 104 98 97 96 104 102 107 |
| Farming, Fishing, & Forestry Occupations | $11.81 | $11.32 | 104 |
| Construction & Extraction Occupations | $22.66 | $20.36 | 111 |
| Installation, Maintenance, & Repair Occupations Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines Industrial Machinery Mechanics Maintenance & Repair Workers, General Maintenance Workers, Machinery |
$20.37 21.39 21.01 17.32 20.07 |
$19.82 21.30 21.77 17.13 18.56 |
103 100 97 101 108 |
| 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 |
$16.66 14.84 13.77 17.48 17.83 27.26 17.34 14.51 11.91 |
$15.54 14.14 13.28 16.60 18.03 23.17 17.01 12.76 11.21 |
107 105 104 105 99 118 102 114 106 |
| Transportation & Material Moving Occupations Conveyor Operators & Tenders Industrial Truck & Tractor Operators Laborers & Freight, Stock, & Material Movers, Hand Machine Feeders & Offbearers Packers & Packagers, Hand |
$15.22 13.59 14.54 12.86 15.24 9.90 |
$15.12 14.46 14.78 11.87 12.92 10.15 |
101 94 98 108 118 98 |
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.
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