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
High-growth additions: PayIt, Main Street Data earn slots in $19M KCRise Fund portfolio
Investing in Kansas City startups ultimately brings greater interest from outside funding sources, said Darcy Howe, KCRise Fund founder and managing director. “We continue to be impressed by the increasing early stage deal flow in our region,” Howe said Tuesday in announcing the additions of Kansas City-based PayIt and Main Street Data to the fund’s…
Digital Sandbox KC nabs $950K to continue regional startup impact
Already with a lasting legacy of growing the area entrepreneurial ecosystem, Digital Sandbox KC has received significant support that should fuel its program for years to come. The proof-of-concept incubator was recently awarded a combined $950,000 — $450,000 from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and $500,000 from the Missouri Technology Corporation. The two grants will…
Victor Hwang: Individual entrepreneurs hold the key to making America great again
Victor Hwang posed a riddle to a TEDx crowd gathered in Georgia. What five-letter word was overlooked during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign and almost never mentioned by the candidates or at the party conventions? The answer is rooted in overcoming inequality, said Hwang, vice president of entrepreneurship for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. “I’m…
Buildings and bus stops: Rebecca Tombaugh paints KC — sometimes with a stick
A lack of clear direction felt liberating as Rebecca Tombaugh unrolled a 12-foot piece of heavy paper in her backyard and got to work, she said. The 59-year-old artist had been tasked with painting a mural of sorts for the Nonprofit Village, a coworking spot that soon would open at 31 W. 31st Street. It’s…