Accountant salary in Kansas City, MO-KS
Accountants earn more in Kansas City than anywhere else in Missouri. Expect a median of $80,040 a year1, 4.5% above the Missouri statewide median of $76,590 and 4.3% below the US median of $83,680. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#126 of 521). BLS counts about 11,260 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Kansas City, MO-KS. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Kansas City against Missouri and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $54,680 | $80,040 | $130,320 | |
| Missouri | $49,290 | $76,590 | $128,300 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Kansas City earns $63,910–$102,950. The top tenth earns $130,320 or more, 2.4 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.6 times. The mean ($88,340) is 10% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $39,040 wide, against $39,210 across Missouri and $42,790 nationally: employers in Kansas City pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an accountant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $54,680 | $4,557 | $26.29 | $70,555 |
| 25th percentile | $63,910 | $5,326 | $30.73 | $82,465 |
| Median | $80,040 | $6,670 | $38.48 | $103,277 |
| 75th percentile | $102,950 | $8,579 | $49.50 | $132,839 |
| 90th percentile | $130,320 | $10,860 | $62.65 | $168,155 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $22,910 a year in pay and about $29,561 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $16,130 in pay. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $83,680 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Kansas City, and the Missouri statewide median of $76,590 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Kansas City
At the $80,040 median, a local hire costs about $103,277 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $23,237 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for accountants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Kansas City
Of the 17 roles we track in Kansas City, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($101,050); recruiters come next at $75,190.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +26.2% | 8,380 | |
| Accountant | this role | 11,260 | |
| Recruiter | -6.1% | 6,950 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -9.3% | 6,920 | |
| Office Manager | -16.6% | 8,860 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #13 of the 17 roles we track in Kansas City (-4.3%), between office managers (-3.9%) and data entry specialists (-5.9%). The typical role here is at -1.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 9.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Kansas City, 10.1% across Missouri and 9.1% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Missouri
Across the 12 areas of Missouri with data for this job, the median runs from $62,490 in the Southwest Missouri nonmetro area to $80,040 in Kansas City, a gap of $17,550 a year. The one area in Missouri with more accountants, St. Louis, MO-IL ($78,880), pays less: a bigger pool at a lower median.
| Area | Median | vs Kansas City | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, MO-KS | this area | 11,260 | |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | -1.4% | 13,610 | |
| Columbia, MO | -8.7% | 930 | |
| Springfield, MO | -8.8% | 2,070 | |
| Joplin, MO-KS | -9.3% | 560 | |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | -15.7% | 340 | |
| Central Missouri (Nonmetro) | -17.5% | 780 |
Kansas City against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Kansas City is #27 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside Missouri, Ann Arbor and Greensboro-High Point pay just above Kansas City and Cleveland and Jacksonville just below. All four are within $130 a year of the median in Kansas City. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Kansas City | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus, OH | +2.1% | 11,410 | jobs | |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | +0.2% | 3,300 | pay | |
| Ann Arbor, MI | +0.0% | 1,580 | pay | |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | this area | 11,260 | ||
| Cleveland, OH | -0.0% | 10,740 | pay | |
| Jacksonville, FL | -0.1% | 6,890 | pay | |
| Indianapolis-Carmel, IN | -0.9% | 11,210 | jobs | |
| Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN | -2.4% | 11,290 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Kansas City, MO-KS?
About $103,277 a year at the median, or $8,606 a month: $80,040 in pay plus about $23,237 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do accountants earn in Kansas City?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $80,040 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $54,680, the 90th $130,320, and the middle half earned $63,910 to $102,950.
Is Kansas City the most expensive area in Missouri for accountants?
Yes. Its median of $80,040 is the highest of 12 areas in Missouri. St. Louis comes next at $78,880.
How many accountants work in Kansas City?
BLS counts about 11,260 in the May 2025 survey. Only St. Louis has more in Missouri.
Does an accountant cost more than a recruiter in Kansas City?
Yes: $4,850 a year more at the median. The medians are $80,040 and $75,190.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.