Cost of hiring in Wichita, KS
Administrative Assistant is the largest of these 17 jobs in Wichita, with about 6,290 people1. Medians run from $35,540 a year for virtual receptionists to $89,170 for project coordinators.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Wichita
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -0.6% | 50 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -0.8% | 320 | |
| Accountant | -5.3% | 3,120 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -6.5% | 1,900 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -6.7% | 190 | |
| Bookkeeper | -8.2% | 3,070 | |
| HR Assistant | -8.5% | 120 | |
| Office Manager | -10.4% | 2,390 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -12.2% | 5,950 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -12.7% | 6,290 | |
| Project Coordinator | -12.9% | 1,140 | |
| Recruiter | -13.9% | 1,380 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -13.9% | 1,460 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -15.5% | 2,540 | |
| Executive Assistant | -18.7% | 540 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -18.9% | 1,470 | |
| Paralegal | -20.1% | 480 |
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 $41,480 median for administrative assistants, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $53,523 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Wichita against the US
Wichita pays below the US median for 15 of the 17 roles, furthest for paralegals (-20.1%). For e-commerce order specialists and payroll specialists it is within 1% of the US figure. The middle gap across all 17 is -12.2%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for payroll specialists, #142 of 486 areas by median pay; its lowest is for administrative assistants, #371 of 520.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Wichita has more administrative assistants (19.4% of these jobs here, against 10.8% nationally), and fewer e-commerce order specialists (0.2% against 0.5%) and project coordinators (3.5% against 6.7%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA is nearest, at -12.1%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evansville, IN | -12.1% | 17 | 11,260 |
| State College, PA | -12.1% | 15 | 5,930 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | -12.1% | 17 | 6,400 |
| Wichita, KS | -12.2% (this area) | 17 | 32,410 |
| Michigan City-La Porte, IN | -12.2% | 15 | 2,700 |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | -12.3% | 15 | 6,210 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Wichita span $30,780–$119,990, the widest band (3.9×); medical administrative assistants the narrowest, $35,420–$49,560. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 12 of 17 roles, data entry specialists most ($31,200–$58,790 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives, marketing specialists, recruiters and 2 more roles: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($68,190 against a $59,110 median for sales development representatives).
Wichita against Kansas
Against Kansas as a whole, Wichita pays more for 2 of 17 roles, led by payroll specialists (+2.2%) and e-commerce order specialists (+1.5%), and less for 13, most of all project coordinators (-10.8%). It has the highest median in Kansas for accountants, payroll specialists and e-commerce order specialists, and the lowest for project coordinators.
Other areas in Kansas
By jobs in these roles, Wichita is #2 of 5 areas in Kansas. The table shows the other 4.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas (Nonmetro) | 34,600 | 17 |
| Topeka, KS | 14,100 | 17 |
| Manhattan, KS | 5,610 | 15 |
| Lawrence, KS | 5,490 | 13 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Wichita?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $89,170 a year, about $115,058 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $35,540.
Is hiring in Wichita cheaper than the US median?
Mostly: no role pays more than the US median, and 15 of 17 pay less.
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.