Forbes report: Kansas City is a top 5 metro for high-wage jobs
June 28, 2017 | Bobby Burch
Kansas City is atop yet another national list touting its economic vibrancy.
Forbes recently released a report analyzing U.S. cities that create the most high-wage jobs, and Kansas City earned the No. 2 spot. The magazine said the City of Fountains’ low taxes and pro-business regulatory environment helped launch it into the top five cities for high-wage jobs.
“KC, better known in the rest of the country for barbecue and its music scene (though not quite Nashville), has grown a vibrant economy based in good part on service businesses in architecture and innovative administrative support models (especially for health care providers), accounting for some 100,000 jobs in professional and business services,” Forbes’ Joel Kotkin wrote.
The study analyzed Bureau of Labor Statistics data from the 70 largest labor markets in the country. It evaluated employment in the business services sector over time, looking at short-, medium- and long-term job trends.
Kansas City boasts 469,200 jobs in the business services sector, netting a 9.3 percent growth between 2011 to 2016, according to the report. Its growth in business service jobs outpaces tech hotbeds such as San Francisco and San Jose.
Nashville, Tenn., took the No. 1 spot in the list with 968,800 jobs in the business services sector and a 20.6 percent growth between 2011 to 2016, according to the report. Austin earned the No. 3 spot, San Francisco the No. 4 and Dallas a No. 5 ranking.

2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Video: Foosball and whimsy are integral to the RFP365 ethos
Kansas City foosball virtuoso Stuart Ludlow knows his way around the fútbol table. With a strike rivaling a Black Mamba’s, Ludlow’s instincts and supple wrist on the foosball pitch puts to shame most any adversary. But perhaps equally as cunning is Ludlow’s savvy to integrate the table game into the workplace culture of RFP365, of which he’s a co-founder. Founded in 2012,…
MIT-modeled mentorship arrives in Kansas City
A new MIT-modeled mentorship program is available to Kansas City entrepreneurs. The Enterprise Center in Johnson County is now accepting applications for its new mentoring program, the Growth Mentoring Service, which adopts the approach of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Venture Mentoring Service. The free, two-year program is welcoming all entrepreneurs who meet its guidelines…
LaunchKC, the $500K grant competition, opens applications
The popular LaunchKC grants competition is back for more and is now accepting applications. LaunchKC — which attracted nearly 500 applicants in its inaugural 2015 competition — dishes out 10, $50,000 non-dilutive grants to tech entrepreneurs from around the globe. “We are searching for the best and brightest startups or early stage technology businesses to apply…
Police offer behind-the-scenes insight on Royals’ World Series parade
It’s November 3, and the Kansas City Royals have just won the World Series after a surprisingly short five games. The last time the Royals brought home a trophy that size was 1985. Fans are ready to party — a crazy, once-every-30-years kind of party. How does a police department ensure the safety of an…
