Average Salaries in Manhattan, KS
Explore salaries across 238 occupations in Manhattan, KS. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $60.8K, -7.5% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 238 occupations and 46,050 total jobs in Manhattan, KS.
How the metro compares
Manhattan, KS pays modestly below the national average. That can be partly offset by a lower cost of living compared with higher-paying markets.
Manhattan, KS is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Physicians, All Other. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Manhattan, KS
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in Manhattan, KS
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $294.9K | 130 |
| Sales Managers | $162.9K | 130 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $157.4K | 50 |
| Marketing Managers | $151.8K | 30 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $140.9K | 30 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $139.2K | 120 |
| Pharmacists | $139.1K | 80 |
| Chief Executives | $138.3K | 80 |
| Financial Managers | $137.2K | 180 |
| Lawyers | $124.2K | 120 |
Largest occupations in Manhattan, KS
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 2,190 | $27.1K |
| Cashiers | 1,620 | $27.9K |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,390 | $29.5K |
| Secretaries And Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, And Executive | 1,230 | $40.5K |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 1,100 | $31K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 1,020 | $31K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 940 | $33.1K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 930 | $36.1K |
| General And Operations Managers | 920 | $85K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 870 | $38.6K |
What Manhattan, KS specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Manhattan, KS than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Manhattan, KS
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Technicians | 18.10 | $51.3K |
| Soil And Plant Scientists | 11.92 | $66.1K |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, And Aquacultural Animals | 8.28 | $37K |
| Power Plant Operators | 7.24 | $98.8K |
| Microbiologists | 6.26 | $81.3K |
| Veterinary Technologists And Technicians | 4.56 | $51.6K |
| Budget Analysts | 4.06 | $73.9K |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics And Service Technicians | 3.70 | $45.9K |
| New Accounts Clerks | 3.30 | $38.2K |
| Civil Engineering Technologists And Technicians | 3.27 | $63.4K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Manhattan, KS
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.