HR Assistant salary in Kansas City, MO-KS
No other area in Missouri pays HR assistants more than Kansas City: the median is $52,140 a year1. That is 8.7% above the Missouri statewide median of $47,960, and 3.0% above the US median of $50,610. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#72 of 384). About 400 HR assistants work here.
BLS occupation 43-4161, 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 | $40,980 | $52,140 | $64,220 | |
| Missouri | $37,740 | $47,960 | $65,090 | |
| United States | $37,340 | $50,610 | $68,280 |
The middle half of HR assistants in Kansas City earns $46,510–$59,130. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $64,220, only 1.6 times the bottom tenth, against 1.8 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $12,620 wide, against $13,940 across Missouri and $15,770 nationally: employers in Kansas City pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an HR assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $40,980 | $3,415 | $19.70 | $52,877 |
| 25th percentile | $46,510 | $3,876 | $22.36 | $60,013 |
| Median | $52,140 | $4,345 | $25.07 | $67,277 |
| 75th percentile | $59,130 | $4,928 | $28.43 | $76,297 |
| 90th percentile | $64,220 | $5,352 | $30.88 | $82,865 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $6,990 a year in pay and about $9,019 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $5,630 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 $50,610 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in Kansas City, and the Missouri statewide median of $47,960 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Kansas City
At the $52,140 median, a local hire costs about $67,277 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $15,137 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 HR assistants 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 #10 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($56,590) and bookkeepers ($50,940). Project Coordinator is the highest at $101,050.
| Role | Median | vs HR assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +22.5% | 2,900 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +8.5% | 1,260 | |
| HR Assistant | this role | 400 | |
| Bookkeeper | -2.3% | 8,780 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -8.5% | 290 |
Measured against the US median, HR assistants rank #2 of the 17 roles we track in Kansas City (+3.0%), between e-commerce order specialists (+3.3%) and paralegals (+1.6%). The typical role here is at -1.7%, so, measured against the US, HR assistants cost more in Kansas City than the area's general pay level would suggest. HR assistants hold 0.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Kansas City, 0.4% across Missouri and 0.6% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Missouri
Across the 8 areas of Missouri with data for this job, the median runs from $40,090 in Springfield to $52,140 in Kansas City, a gap of $12,050 a year. The one area in Missouri with more HR assistants, St. Louis, MO-IL ($47,960), pays less: a bigger pool at a lower median.
| Area | Median | vs Kansas City | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, MO-KS | this area | 400 | |
| Columbia, MO | -5.9% | 50 | |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | -8.0% | 490 | |
| Central Missouri (Nonmetro) | -9.6% | 80 | |
| Southwest Missouri (Nonmetro) | -10.9% | 30 | |
| Jefferson City, MO | -13.3% | 70 | |
| Southeast Missouri (Nonmetro) | -15.1% | 40 |
Kansas City against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Kansas City is #45 of 382 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside Missouri, Ithaca and Dallas-Fort Worth pay just above Kansas City and Waterbury-Shelton and Dayton-Kettering just below. All four are within $100 a year of the median in Kansas City. Of the three markets with about as many HR assistants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Kansas City | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | +0.0% | 1,630 | pay | |
| Ithaca, NY | +0.0% | 70 | pay | |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | this area | 400 | ||
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | -0.1% | 90 | pay | |
| Dayton-Kettering, OH | -0.2% | 150 | pay | |
| Albuquerque, NM | -3.2% | 420 | jobs | |
| Louisville, KY-IN | -6.3% | 400 | jobs | |
| Columbia, SC | -12.9% | 380 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an HR assistant in Kansas City, MO-KS?
About $67,277 a year at the median, or $5,606 a month: $52,140 in pay plus about $15,137 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for HR assistants in Kansas City?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $52,140 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $40,980, the 90th $64,220, and the middle half earned $46,510 to $59,130.
Is Kansas City the most expensive area in Missouri for HR assistants?
Yes. Its median of $52,140 is the highest of 8 areas in Missouri. Columbia comes next at $49,070.
How many HR assistants work in Kansas City?
BLS counts about 400 in the May 2025 survey. Only St. Louis has more in Missouri.
Does an HR assistant cost more than a bookkeeper in Kansas City?
Yes: $1,200 a year more at the median. The medians are $52,140 and $50,940.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-4161: 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.