The Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) today released the 2011 edition of the Kansas Wage Survey.
The report shows Orthodontists topped the 2010 wage charts in Kansas, earning an average hourly wage of $117.36 last year. Doctors accounted for seven of the remaining nine highest paying occupations, while chief executives and physicists rounded out the top ten. This report ranks occupations for which wages are disclosable.
The Kansas Wage Survey is produced in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics by the Kansas Occupational Employment Statistics program at KDOL, and includes several other statistical measurements and information. The 2011 survey, which contains data collected over a 3-year period from November 2007 through 2010, measures occupational employment and wage rates for wage and salary workers in non-farm industries. Approximately 4,500 employers are surveyed each year through the semiannual mail survey.
The average Kansas hourly wage in May 2010 was $18.89, up from $18.52 in 2009. This is $2.46 less than the 2010 national average hourly wage of $21.35. When comparing the average hourly wage with surrounding states, Kansas has a higher average hourly wage than Nebraska and Oklahoma, but a lower average hourly wage than Missouri and Colorado.
Statewide, location influences how much a worker is paid. For example, the survey found civil engineers have an average hourly wage of $40.30 in the Kansas City Geographic Area; $38.83 in the Manhattan Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA); $38.20 in the Kansas City MSA; $34.05 in the Lawrence MSA; $33.65 in the Topeka MSA; $33.12 in the balance of state; and $27.96 in the Wichita MSA.
The survey also found that retail salespersons, cashiers, registered nurses, office clerks, customer service representatives and combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food were among the occupations with the highest estimated employment in 2010.
The Occupational Employment Statistics survey covers all full-time and part-time wage and salary workers in non-farm industries. The survey does not include self-employed workers, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers.
More information regarding the Kansas Wage Survey can be found on through the KDOL website.