Forbes report: Kansas City is a top 5 metro for high-wage jobs

June 28, 2017  |  Bobby Burch

The Bartle Sky Stations to the southwest of downtown Kansas City. Photo by Hannah Arredondo

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.

startland-tip-jar

TIP JAR

Did you enjoy this post? Show your support by becoming a member or buying us a coffee.

Tagged ,
Featured Business
    Featured Founder

      2017 Startups to Watch

        stats here

        Related Posts on Startland News

        MidxMidwest teases lineup for three-day investor-innovation event (and the startup party of the year)

        By Tommy Felts | October 31, 2025

        Building on Kansas City’s ambitious spirit, a new blend of music, startups and community is expected to meet at the crossroads of innovation, said Alexa Heying, pulling back the curtain on plans for the region’s flagship Midwest tech conference. “The goal of MidxMidwest is to create the connective tissue between founders, investors, and corporates so…

        Peek inside: Buffalo State Pizza takes another slice of ownership with fresh-baked downtown OP relocation

        By Tommy Felts | October 31, 2025

        Three decades of pizza at a popular downtown Overland Park corner might have come to a close this week, as the crew at Buffalo State Pizza Co. picked up the last of what they could carry and walked it a half block down the street to the shop’s new home near another local favorite, The…

        One cabin, one chair, one cut: Barber swaps rushed for rustic at his no-distractions shop in the woods

        By Tommy Felts | October 31, 2025

        LONE JACK, Mo. — A short drive to visit this barber — his cabin tucked away in the oaks and hickories about 35 minutes from the heart Kansas City — is about more than just the journey to a great hair cut, Micah Holdaway said; it’s about the experience. After running Barberhouse Men’s Hair Studio in…

        Q&A: Troy Nash grew up in public housing; now he’s leading real estate innovation at UMKC

        By Tommy Felts | October 30, 2025

        Editor’s note: The following story was written and first published by the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Click here to read the original story. [divide] Executive MBA professor named new real estate center director With more than two decades of leadership in public-private partnerships, economic development and community engagement, Troy Nash will serve as director of the Lewis…