Kansas City, MO runs tighter than the national labor market, with steady job growth and pay that often trails U.S. medians. Here is what that means for how you source, pay and move candidates.
Kansas City unemployment sits at 3.9%, below the U.S. rate of 4.2%. A year ago it was 4.1%, so the market has stayed tight rather than loosening. Employers here are competing for people who mostly already have jobs.
The metro has a labor force of 1.23 million and 1.18 million nonfarm jobs, up +0.7% over the year. Growth is modest but real, and it is concentrated in health care, education and manufacturing. Trade, transportation and utilities remains the biggest employer base.
Pay for several common roles runs below national medians, and Missouri's statewide minimum wage of $15.00 sets a single floor across the metro on the Missouri side. The tables below break down the snapshot, wages, industry mix and rules. The sections after them turn that data into recruiting steps you can use this month.
Unemployment of 3.9% against a national 4.2% means fewer idle job seekers and more passive candidates. Plan for slower applicant flow and faster competition for the people who do apply.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, CES). "Preliminary" figures may be revised. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
| Occupation | 10th pct. | Median | 90th pct. | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales representatives of services | $17.80 | $31.23 | $77.11 | 9,250 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing | $18.70 | $31.85 | $65.20 | 9,930 |
| Telemarketers | $13.83 | $17.04 | $17.17 | 160 |
| Customer service representatives | $15.10 | $21.32 | $30.05 | 22,240 |
| Retail salespersons | $13.77 | $16.50 | $22.67 | 26,110 |
| Cashiers | $13.75 | $14.76 | $18.35 | 24,160 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers | $15.07 | $20.05 | $24.81 | 19,070 |
| Fast food and counter workers | $11.32 | $14.21 | $17.23 | 20,120 |
| Janitors and cleaners | $14.52 | $17.48 | $22.62 | 12,950 |
| Sales managers | $40.29 | $76.92 | $120.19 | — |
Several local medians trail national figures, such as services sales representatives at $31.23 versus $31.23 nationally being replaced by $33.65, while laborers and material movers ($20.05) and sales managers ($76.92) run above U.S. medians. Wage data is from an earlier period than the current minimum wage, so check every lower-percentile offer against today's $15.00 floor.
230,500 jobs · 19.6% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Trade, transportation and utilities is the largest sector at 19.6% but grew only +0.2%, so warehouse, driver and retail hiring is mostly replacement volume that rewards fast, repeatable bulk workflows.
185,400 jobs · 15.7% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Private education and health services grew +2.6% on a 15.7% share, which means aides, medical assistants and childcare staff are in rising demand and candidates will compare offers quickly.
185,100 jobs · 15.7% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Professional and business services holds 15.7% of jobs with +0.8% growth, so contact-center and sales roles need steady pipelines and clear pay messaging rather than one-off campaigns.
121,100 jobs · 10.3% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Leisure and hospitality accounts for 10.3% of jobs and grew +0.5%, so turnover-driven hiring for servers, cooks and housekeeping calls for always-on apply pages and quick text follow-up.
91,300 jobs · 7.7% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Manufacturing grew +2.4% on a 7.7% share, putting production, machine operator and shipping roles in a tighter pool where screening speed decides who you land.
Trade, transportation and utilities leads at 19.6% of jobs, but health and education services is growing fastest at +2.6%. Expect the most competition for aides, clinic staff and production workers, where demand is rising.
Missouri sets a statewide minimum wage of $15.00, preempts higher local wages, and limits employer use of expunged records, with no statewide ban-the-box, pay transparency or non-compete requirement identified in the sources reviewed. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm current requirements with the relevant agency or your employment counsel before acting.
Missouri's only identified limit on employer background-check use is for expunged records: people with expunged records may answer "no" to employer inquiries, with exceptions for legally regulated jobs.
Source: Revised Statutes of Missouri section 610.140 (Missouri Revisor of Statutes) · checked October 15, 2026No statewide ban-the-box / fair chance requirement was identified in the sources we reviewed.
Source: Revised Statutes of Missouri (Missouri Revisor of Statutes) · checked October 15, 2026Missouri's statewide minimum wage is $15.00 an hour in 2026, with no further scheduled increase, and state law bars cities and counties from setting a higher local wage.
Source: Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards · checked October 15, 2026No statewide non-compete agreements requirement was identified in the sources we reviewed.
Source: Revised Statutes of Missouri section 431.202 (Missouri Revisor of Statutes) · checked October 15, 2026No statewide pay transparency requirement was identified in the sources we reviewed.
Source: Revised Statutes of Missouri (Missouri Revisor of Statutes) · checked October 15, 2026No local local ordinances requirement was identified in the sources we reviewed.
Missouri law preempts local minimum and living wage ordinances above state law, so Kansas City has no separate local minimum wage in force.
Full detail on the state rules is on the Missouri hiring page.
General information, not legal advice.
Employment rules change and have exceptions that depend on employer size, industry and facts. This summary reflects the sources shown as of the dates shown (legal sources checked October 15, 2026). Confirm requirements with the relevant agency or qualified counsel before acting.
With unemployment at 3.9%, most strong candidates have options. A text within hours of applying keeps you ahead of employers who wait for email replies. Set automations to confirm applications and offer an interview slot right away.
Services sales pay runs from $17.80 to $77.11 an hour, and the local median trails the national figure. Lead with the base, then show what typical and top performers earn. Candidates who see only a low base will skip the posting.
The wage tables predate the current $15.00 statewide minimum, so some lower-percentile figures no longer reflect what you can pay. Because there is no separate local minimum, one floor applies across Missouri-side locations. Build offers that clear it with room to compete for experienced hires.
Health and education services is the fastest-growing sector at +2.6%. Keep a segmented list of past applicants for aide and clinic roles and re-engage them when openings appear. Screening by phone early helps you confirm availability and credentials before scheduling.
Warehouse, retail and hospitality hiring is large and repetitive. Move, message and schedule candidates in batches instead of one at a time. Use the same templates across locations so every site follows the same steps.
Kansas City's tight market punishes slow follow-up, and its biggest sectors hire in volume. Conversational SMS and automations let you text applicants from one inbox and trigger messages when status changes, so candidates hear back while they are still interested. AI voice call screening calls candidates and feeds results into your pipeline, which helps when aide, warehouse or production roles need quick availability checks. For multi-site hiring, bulk actions let you message and move large candidate groups at once instead of working one record at a time.
Start from Missouri's statewide minimum of $15.00, since the wage tables predate it. Then compare against local medians for the role, such as laborers and material movers at $20.05 or customer service reps at $21.32. Pay above the floor where you need experienced or reliable hires.
No. Missouri law preempts local minimum and living wage ordinances above state law, so the statewide $15.00 applies. This is general information, not legal advice, so confirm with the state agency or counsel.
Unemployment is 3.9%, below the national 4.2%, so candidates often have other offers. Aim to reply the same day and offer an interview time in your first message. Self-service scheduling and automated reminders help cut no-shows.
Yes, as long as you get clear opt-in consent before texting and honor STOP and other opt-out requests right away. Keep messages tied to the application and identify your company. Confirm your consent process with counsel.
No statewide ban-the-box or local fair chance requirement was identified in the sources reviewed. Missouri does let people with expunged records answer no to employer inquiries, with exceptions for legally regulated jobs. Confirm details with counsel before changing your process.
Trade, transportation and utilities is the largest sector at 19.6% of jobs. Health and education services is growing fastest at +2.6%, with manufacturing close behind at +2.4%. Expect the stiffest competition for aides, clinic staff and production workers.
Sources and data currency
Labor data as of August 2026; wage data May 2025; rules checked October 15, 2026. Next scheduled review: January 19, 2027. This page is educational market information for employers.
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