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
KCultivator Q&A: Sarah Mote inspired by radical thinkers, lowbrow humor, taking KCSourceLink social
Editor’s note: KCultivators is a lighthearted profile series to highlight people who are meaningfully enriching Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The KCultivator Series is sponsored by Plexpod, a progressive coworking platform offering next generation workspace for entrepreneurs, startups, and growth-stage companies of all sizes. Quiet startups fueled by overcoming struggles are always the most fascinating stories,…
KCMO adds $350K for entrepreneurs to proposed city budget after advocates’ last-minute push
Kansas City entrepreneur advocates gained more momentum Thursday in their bid to receive greater civic support for startups and small businesses. “Entrepreneurs and small businesses are the driver of the Kansas City economy,” KCMO councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Scott Wagner told Startland Thursday afternoon, following the approval of the city’s $1.73 billion budget. An…
Ties meet rocket tech: Crooked Branch refines bow ties with carbon fiber, urging fearlessness
Capitalize on what’s trendy, find a way to make it better, and the work will do itself, Paul Kaster said of his fresh-out-of-high school startup journey. Such a mindset has only elevated business for Kaster, founder of Crooked Branch Studio. The entrepreneur recently launched a line of bow ties made from carbon fiber — a…
