SOC 25-2031 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education — Kansas City
Kansas City, MO-KS · 7 metro areas compared
In Kansas City, MO the median wage is $61,200.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -1.6%
- Openings per year
- 66,200
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Kansas City, MO-KS.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
In Kansas City, MO the median wage is $61,200. That is 15.0% lower than the national median of $72,040. Pay ranges from under $48,820 at the tenth percentile to more than $78,940 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $50,370 to $72,100.
Employment stands at 7,750, or 7.1 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, St. Louis records the highest median at $62,130. Of the 613 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 282nd.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $48,820 | −32.2% |
| 25th | $50,370 | −30.1% |
| Median (50th) | $61,200 | −15.0% |
| 75th | $72,100 | +0.1% |
| 90th | $78,940 | +9.6% |
| Mean | $62,830 | −12.8% |
Other metro areas in Missouri
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Louis | $62,130 | 9,870 | |
| 2 | Springfield | $60,060 | 1,550 | |
| 3 | Columbia | $58,720 | 950 | |
| 4 | Jefferson City | $50,950 | 710 | |
| 5 | Joplin | $50,690 | 580 | |
| 6 | St. Joseph | $49,790 | 360 | |
| 7 | Cape Girardeau | $48,570 | 290 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Kansas City run 7.5% below the national average, so the median of $61,200 goes as far as $66,162 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 8.2% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$61,200as reported by BLSLocal price level
92.5US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$66,162US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $61,200 a year, 15.0% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $48,820 to $78,940 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 7,750 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is St. Louis, at $62,130.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education in Kansas City, MO?
The median annual wage is $61,200, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $72,040, so pay in Kansas City, MO is 15.0% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Kansas City, MO earns more than $78,940 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $48,820 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in St. Louis, at $62,130 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 7,750 jobs in this occupation in Kansas City, MO. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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