Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
Wichita, KS Average Salary 2026
Cost of living, occupation-by-occupation pay, and percentile ranges from official BLS data.
The average salary in Wichita, KS, Kansas is $92,072 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (2025 reference period) covering 58 occupations and roughly 49,700 workers. Adjusted for Wichita, KS's cost-of-living index of 84, that nominal average translates to $109,610 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. The highest-paying tracked occupation is Pediatrician at $228,820; the lowest is Automotive Technician at $47,800.
Wichita, KS, KS has below-baseline cost-of-living (index 84.0), which means the $92,072 average median wage translates to higher real purchasing power than the same number would in higher-COL markets.
Highest-paying role in Wichita, KS on BLS data is Pediatrician at $228,820 median. Top-paying roles in any U.S. city skew toward physicians, executives, tech specialists, and licensed professionals; the specific ranking varies with the local industry mix. Lower-COL cities like Wichita, KS often outperform higher-COL ones on cost-adjusted real income for the same role, especially for workers in mid-paying occupations whose gross wages do not vary as much by city.
Salaries by Occupation in Wichita, KS
| Role | Category | Median | Range (10th–90th) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pediatrician | Healthcare | $228,820 | $195,350 – $310,110 | 50 |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $156,130 | $94,730 – $241,830 | 550 |
| Financial Manager | Finance | $155,060 | $81,590 – $250,650 | 1,060 |
| Marketing Manager | Management | $150,210 | $93,570 – $278,990 | 240 |
| Pharmacist | Healthcare | $142,400 | $107,230 – $165,940 | 580 |
| Sales Manager | Management | $134,650 | $76,390 – $221,090 | 960 |
| Human Resources Manager | Management | $132,050 | $92,340 – $212,920 | 220 |
| Optometrist | Healthcare | $123,940 | $82,630 – $193,340 | 120 |
| Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $121,640 | $95,900 – $161,750 | 240 |
| Lawyer | Legal | $121,510 | $76,380 – $209,200 | 690 |
| Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $116,100 | $95,600 – $145,620 | 690 |
| Software Developer | Technology | $105,980 | $62,860 – $152,500 | 2,040 |
| Veterinarian | Healthcare | $104,930 | $78,880 – $205,400 | 170 |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $104,410 | $73,990 – $181,840 | 920 |
| Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $102,880 | $78,800 – $129,800 | 140 |
| Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $101,510 | $75,940 – $137,160 | 1,110 |
| Loan Officer | Finance | $99,170 | $49,590 – $156,790 | 700 |
| Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $99,000 | $74,070 – $120,690 | 320 |
| Computer Network Architect | Technology | $98,530 | $57,010 – $164,160 | 350 |
| Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $98,480 | $65,230 – $146,580 | 400 |
| Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $97,400 | $71,960 – $118,780 | 580 |
| Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $96,890 | $30,920 – $129,770 | 220 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $94,790 | $62,000 – $175,700 | 620 |
| Data Scientist | Technology | $94,680 | $67,840 – $153,540 | 70 |
| Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $94,610 | $65,840 – $139,660 | 800 |
| Computer Programmer | Technology | $92,960 | $60,540 – $183,830 | 70 |
| Information Security Analyst | Technology | $91,670 | $56,150 – $144,920 | 370 |
| Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $90,130 | $61,890 – $136,600 | 130 |
| Audiologist | Healthcare | $89,610 | $77,140 – $97,250 | 60 |
| General and Operations Manager | Management | $85,230 | $48,910 – $191,600 | 5,060 |
| Civil Engineer | Engineering | $84,310 | $48,740 – $132,740 | 540 |
| Database Architect | Technology | $84,260 | $52,860 – $137,190 | 70 |
| Network Architect | Technology | $82,820 | $54,840 – $121,100 | 720 |
| Management Analyst | Management | $82,390 | $52,330 – $130,860 | 970 |
| Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $81,200 | $51,460 – $266,380 | 470 |
| Financial Examiner | Finance | $80,450 | $50,290 – $170,830 | 110 |
| Accountant | Finance | $79,270 | $52,810 – $133,460 | 3,120 |
| Architect | Engineering | $79,180 | $59,640 – $129,610 | 220 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $78,390 | $56,120 – $112,630 | 430 |
| Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $76,540 | $60,300 – $99,530 | 7,460 |
| Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $73,470 | $50,150 – $115,920 | 200 |
| Financial Analyst | Finance | $71,040 | $48,220 – $122,100 | 290 |
| Web Developer | Technology | $70,910 | $43,110 – $133,660 | 30 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $67,980 | $38,570 – $106,640 | 810 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $66,680 | $46,450 – $142,470 | 40 |
| Electrician | Trades | $65,670 | $38,700 – $96,830 | 1,610 |
| Market Research Analyst | Management | $63,890 | $35,750 – $120,090 | 1,470 |
| Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $63,430 | $39,690 – $109,290 | 370 |
| Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $63,070 | $47,700 – $83,310 | 60 |
| Web Designer | Technology | $62,690 | $40,290 – $116,340 | 80 |
| Secondary School Teacher | Education | $61,840 | $49,700 – $76,230 | 2,320 |
| Plumber | Trades | $60,940 | $38,290 – $93,630 | 1,060 |
| Elementary School Teacher | Education | $58,640 | $48,470 – $65,150 | 2,940 |
| Welder | Trades | $54,190 | $39,020 – $71,890 | 1,460 |
| Graphic Designer | Creative | $52,570 | $36,670 – $79,990 | 300 |
| Carpenter | Trades | $50,930 | $37,980 – $78,000 | 1,210 |
| Paralegal | Legal | $50,240 | $37,800 – $74,770 | 480 |
| Automotive Technician | Trades | $47,800 | $31,350 – $74,030 | 1,330 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The single highest-paying occupation tracked in Wichita, KS is Pediatrician, with a median of $228,820 and a 90th-percentile reading of $310,110. That $114,760 spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles is typical for a role of this seniority — entry-level workers cluster near the bottom of the band, while senior specialists and managers earn at the top.
Across all 58 BLS-tracked occupations in Wichita, KS, the average median salary is $92,072. The top five roles average $166,524 — about 1.8× the citywide average — which is the expected shape for a U.S. metro economy: a small concentration of high-skill, high-credential occupations sits well above the broader middle.
Wichita, KS runs below the U.S. average on cost of living (index 84, about 16% below the national mean). Lower nominal salaries here often translate to comparable or better purchasing power than higher headline numbers in coastal hubs.
Salary Negotiation in Wichita, KS
For salary negotiation in Wichita, KS, the practical input is the percentile band for your role and city, not the citywide average. The OEWS publishes 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile wages for every metro and occupation; you can find your role's exact percentile in the table above and use the SalaryTruth percentile calculator to anchor your offer. Cost-of-living index 84 should also factor in any cross-metro comparison.
For city-vs-city moves, the right benchmark is COL-adjusted pay rather than nominal pay. Our COL-adjusted salaries guide shows the exact math; the negotiation playbook covers how to use BLS percentile bands to anchor offers.
How Wichita, KS Salary Data Is Built
Wages on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — a federal survey of more than 1.2 million U.S. establishments, published once per year by Metropolitan Statistical Area and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. We pull the BLS data file for Wichita, KS, match each occupation against our role catalog, and surface percentile wages alongside employment counts. The cost-of-living index (84) is a composite of housing, food, transportation, and utility data from public sources, calibrated to a U.S. national average of 100. Read the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average salary in Wichita, KS in 2026?
The average salary in Wichita, KS is $92,072 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release covering 58 occupations. The mean (employment-weighted average) gives slightly more weight to large occupations; the median across roles is also close to $92,072. The top-paying role is Pediatrician at $228,820.
Is $100,000 a good salary in Wichita, KS?
In Wichita, KS, $100,000 has the purchasing power of $119,048 in an average-cost U.S. metro (COL index 84). That is above $100K of buying power — a $100K salary stretches further in Wichita, KS than in most U.S. metros. Compared to the city's average median of $92,072, $100K is above the typical worker.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Wichita, KS?
The top-paying tracked occupations in Wichita, KS are Pediatrician ($228,820), Computer and Information Systems Manager ($156,130), Financial Manager ($155,060), and Marketing Manager ($150,210). Across the top 10, median salaries range from $121,510 to $228,820. See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/wichita.
How does Wichita, KS's cost of living affect salaries?
Wichita, KS has a cost-of-living index of 84, 16% below the U.S. national average. A nominal salary of $92,072 in this metro has the equivalent purchasing power of $109,610 in an average-cost U.S. city. Housing is the dominant driver of this gap; in higher-COL markets, mortgage or rent typically eats 5–15 percentage points more of pre-tax pay than in average-cost metros.
How many people are employed in Wichita, KS?
Across the 58 BLS-tracked occupations on this page, total employment in the Wichita, KS metro is approximately 49,700. BLS OEWS sample-based estimates cover all major occupational categories but exclude very small or volatile fields where the sample is too thin to publish.
Where does this Wichita, KS salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal survey data covering about 1.2 million U.S. employers. The same data is used by the U.S. Department of Labor for prevailing wage determinations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Wichita, KS MSA, 2026 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2026."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 58 occupations · COL Index 84.