Report: Tech drives nearly a 10th of Kansas City’s economy (and those employers are hiring)
October 6, 2025 | Startland News Staff
Advocates tout KC for top-tier tech talent; a new report affirms its status as an emerging market with potential for big impact
A combination of economic stability, depth and skill of talent, and operational efficiency creates conditions for companies to grow and succeed in Kansas City, said Kara Lowe, detailing new data that suggests the region is entering a growth phase ripe for tech companies.
“Kansas City’s strength has always come from the ingenuity, resilience and vision of its people,” said Lowe, president and CEO of the KC Tech Council. “In a rapidly evolving industry, that spirit is our constant advantage. Together, we’re not only growing Kansas City’s tech economy — we’re shaping its future.”
The tech council’s latest KC Tech Specs report — a comprehensive, data-driven look at the region’s tech industry — reveals a healthy and encouraging status with expanding opportunities in the bistate business community, she added.
Designed for the entire tech ecosystem, the report aims to inform business leaders, policymakers, educators, civic leaders, and students to help them better understand the region’s momentum and opportunities in tech.
Together, Kansas and Missouri saw the tech industry add an estimated $12.4 billion to the two states’ combined $35.5 billion economic impact, according to the Tech Specs report.
Other indicators of a rapidly growing tech hub, as noted by the report:
- 10.3 percent increase in tech job postings across Kansas and Missouri (2023-2025)
- 4.1 percent growth in tech businesses
- More than 225,000 tech professionals now working in the bistate region
- KC’s 75,000-plus tech professionals make up 6.9 percent of the local workforce, driving 9 percent of the KC economy — outperforming larger metros like Chicago, Nashville, and St. Louis
Click here to access the full Tech Specs report.
KC Tech Specs, v8
“This two-state region presents technology leaders with a compelling environment for steady growth, a well-established and talented workforce, and a mature business ecosystem,” the report says, adding that a competitive cost of living compared to other metros continues to specifically benefit the Kansas City metro area, which ranks as the second-most cost-effective market for technology employment.
The increase in local job postings for tech jobs also reinforces the “critical need to expand and explore nontraditional talent sourcing strategies to develop, attract, grow and retain talent,” the report says. A substantial majority of the metro area’s tech workers (60-70 percent) are young or mid-tier professionals, and total tech jobs in Kansas City actually went down from May 2024 to May 2025, mirroring a larger trend of decreased employment in all industry sectors.
However, the number of opportunities in technology combined with tech council’s resolve to find solutions in a tightened labor market create the overall optimism around the report, Lowe said.
KC Tech Council partnered with RSM US LLP to assemble the Tech Specs report with data from sources including CompTIA, JobsEQ and customized analytics from RSM US LLP.
2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Chef Celina Tio embraces her celebrity brand, welcomes disruptive discomfort
Sitting down to discuss her career a few hours before a Thursday evening rush at The Belfry, celebrity chef and entrepreneur Celina Tio is all business. She’s heard (and answered) every biographical question before. Yet Tio’s eyes gleam and a smile quickly spreads across her face when the conversation turns to her customers at the…
Garmin CEO reveals startup origins, tech hiring challenges, culture of innovation
It began like any other startup, said Clifton Pemble, Garmin’s sixth employee and now CEO of the $11 billion GPS tech firm. “I joined Garmin and it was literally just days later that we were gathered in a little place over at 95th and Pflumm — two rooms in a small strip mall kind of…
1 Million Cups wraps month-long black entrepreneur showcase
Celebrating differences strengthens everyone, a white 1 Million Cups volunteer told a room full of black entrepreneurs and business owners Wednesday evening. “Diversity and inclusion are important to us year-round here at 1 Million Cups,” said Kyle Smith, communications coordinator at KCSourceLink and a 1MC Kansas City community organizer. “And I am very well aware…
C2FO raises massive $100M round for global expansion
In what is believed to be the largest venture-backed funding round in the Kansas City area’s history, C2FO is lighting the fuse on its global expansion with a $100 million capital raise. The Leawood-based financial tech firm’s round was led by Munich-based Allianz X and Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala Investment Company, and included participation from Temasek,…