Average Salaries in Wichita, KS
Explore salaries across 485 occupations in Wichita, KS. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $60.9K, -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: 485 occupations and 301,540 total jobs in Wichita, KS.
How the metro compares
Wichita, KS pays modestly below the national average. That can be partly offset by a lower cost of living compared with higher-paying markets.
Wichita, KS is a mid-sized metro labor market.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Pediatricians, General. 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 Wichita, 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 Wichita, KS
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Pediatricians, General | $228.8K | 50 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $205.5K | 220 |
| Chief Executives | $198.9K | 350 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $163.2K | 260 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $156.1K | 550 |
| Purchasing Managers | $156K | 160 |
| Financial Managers | $155.1K | 1,060 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $154.3K | 350 |
| Physicians, All Other | $151.5K | 1,170 |
| Marketing Managers | $150.2K | 240 |
Largest occupations in Wichita, KS
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 11,580 | $27.4K |
| Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, And Systems Assemblers | 9,460 | $59.9K |
| Retail Salespersons | 7,530 | $30.8K |
| Registered Nurses | 7,460 | $76.5K |
| Cashiers | 7,070 | $28.4K |
| Secretaries And Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, And Executive | 6,290 | $41.5K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 5,950 | $39.3K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 5,850 | $30.6K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 5,710 | $34.5K |
| Nursing Assistants | 5,220 | $37.3K |
What Wichita, 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 Wichita, KS than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Wichita, KS
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, And Systems Assemblers | 140.11 | $59.9K |
| Layout Workers, Metal And Plastic | 49.68 | $79.2K |
| Aerospace Engineering And Operations Technologists And Technicians | 22.77 | $78.4K |
| Aerospace Engineers | 10.66 | $130.7K |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers | 6.93 | $99.8K |
| Engineering Technologists And Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other | 6.54 | $60.6K |
| Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, And Gaugers | 5.59 | $107.3K |
| Recreational Therapists | 4.87 | $36.8K |
| Materials Engineers | 4.25 | $100K |
| Coating, Painting, And Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 4.19 | $58.8K |
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 Wichita, 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.