Cost of hiring in Topeka, KS
BLS counts about 14,100 people in these 17 roles in Topeka1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($100,000 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($35,780), and Administrative Assistant is the largest job, with about 2,920 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Topeka
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Assistant | +6.6% | 90 | |
| Recruiter | +1.0% | 720 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -1.3% | 160 | |
| Project Coordinator | -2.3% | 520 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -2.4% | 510 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -3.6% | 2,340 | |
| Bookkeeper | -4.6% | 1,260 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -5.9% | 480 | |
| Accountant | -8.8% | 1,420 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -9.6% | 790 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -11.1% | 300 | |
| Office Manager | -11.8% | 1,250 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -16.9% | 2,920 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -17.0% | 620 | |
| Executive Assistant | -17.4% | 340 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -19.8% | 30 | |
| Paralegal | -19.9% | 350 |
The employer pays more than the wage: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, so a $39,500 median for administrative assistants, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $50,968 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Topeka against the US
Topeka pays above the US median for only one of the 17 roles, HR assistants (+6.6%), and below it for 15, furthest for paralegals (-19.9%). For recruiters it is within 1% of the US figure. The middle gap across all 17 is -8.8%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for HR assistants, #45 of 384 areas by median pay; its lowest is for e-commerce order specialists, #260 of 287.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Topeka has more data entry specialists (2.1% of these jobs here, against 0.8% nationally) and administrative assistants (20.7% against 10.8%), and fewer e-commerce order specialists (0.2% against 0.5%) and project coordinators (3.7% against 6.7%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Dover, DE is nearest, at -8.9%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casper, WY | -8.8% | 13 | 3,000 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE | -8.8% | 15 | 5,340 |
| Salisbury, MD | -8.8% | 15 | 5,870 |
| Topeka, KS | -8.8% (this area) | 17 | 14,100 |
| Dover, DE | -8.9% | 16 | 6,780 |
| Memphis, TN-MS | -8.9% | 17 | 59,940 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Topeka span $35,030–$120,840, the widest band (3.4×); data entry specialists the narrowest, $28,090–$36,960. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 13 of 17 roles, data entry specialists most ($31,200–$58,790 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives, marketing specialists and e-commerce order specialists: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($73,490 against a $63,260 median for sales development representatives).
Topeka against Kansas
Against Kansas as a whole, Topeka pays more for 7 of 17 roles, led by HR assistants (+8.7%) and recruiters (+8.2%), and less for 8, most of all e-commerce order specialists (-18.0%). It has the highest median in Kansas for project coordinators, recruiters and HR assistants and 4 more roles, and the lowest for e-commerce order specialists and data entry specialists.
Other areas in Kansas
By jobs in these roles, Topeka is #3 of 5 areas in Kansas. The table shows the other 4.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas (Nonmetro) | 34,600 | 17 |
| Wichita, KS | 32,410 | 17 |
| Manhattan, KS | 5,610 | 15 |
| Lawrence, KS | 5,490 | 13 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Topeka?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $100,000 a year, about $129,032 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $35,780.
Is hiring in Topeka cheaper than the US median?
For 15 of the 17 roles, yes, most of all paralegals (-19.9%). One pays more than the US median: HR assistants (+6.6%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.