Kansas Minimum Wage 2026: $7.25 on Paper, Far More in Wichita

Published: September 25, 2026 | By LocalJobPage Team

WICHITA, KS — The Kansas minimum wage is still $7.25 an hour in 2026 and nothing in Wichita City Hall can change that. What the legal floor does not tell you is what Wichita employers actually pay. New federal data released this summer shows the gap between the two is wide, and knowing both numbers is how you avoid taking the first offer that clears the minimum.

Kansas law keeps every paycheck in the metro on one floor, from Park City to Derby, but the Wichita labor market pays well above it in nearly every field.

Ready to search? Skip to Wichita job links that pay above the floor →

💵 The Kansas Minimum Wage in 2026

The U.S. Department of Labor's state table lists Kansas at $7.25 an hour, matching the federal rate. For tipped workers, the tipped wage table sets a cash wage of $2.13, with tips expected to cover the remaining $5.12. If tips fall short in a pay period, the employer has to make up the difference so the total reaches $7.25.

Kansas wage law excludes jobs already covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, which is most of them. That changes the rulebook, not the number: either way, the floor is $7.25.

Why Wichita Can't Set Its Own Minimum Wage

Kansas closed that door in 2013. State statute K.S.A. 12-16,130 bars any city, county or local government from requiring employers to pay more than the state minimum, or to provide leave and benefits beyond what state and federal law require. Lawmakers amended it again in 2016, and the preemption still stands.

So there is no wage line to watch inside this metro. A dishwasher on East Douglas, a stocker off K-96 in Bel Aire and a cashier in Haysville all share the same legal floor. As everywhere, the address where the work is performed is what decides the minimum, not where you live or where the company is based. Here, every address in Kansas lands on the same number.

📊 What Wichita Employers Actually Pay

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its May 2025 wage survey for the Wichita metro on August 4, 2026. The all-jobs mean was $28.28 an hour, below the national mean of $33.54, but nowhere near the legal floor. Even the lowest-paid groups sit at roughly double it.

Job group (Wichita metro)	Mean hourly wage
Food preparation and serving	$15.46
Personal care and service	$16.39
Building and grounds cleaning	$17.56
Healthcare support	$17.63
Transportation and material moving	$21.81
Office and administrative support	$22.23
Production	$28.36
Installation, maintenance and repair	$29.61

These are averages across all experience levels, so a starting offer will usually land below them. They are still the right yardstick, far more useful than $7.25.

🔧 Where the Air Capital Beats the National Average

Production is the story. It makes up 10.8 percent of Wichita-area jobs, about double the national share of 5.5 percent, and pays a mean of $28.36 an hour here against $24.81 nationally. That is aviation and its supply chain at work, from the plants off K-15 to the machine shops scattered along the south side. Wichita also carries a larger share of architecture and engineering jobs than the country does, at a mean of $46.44.

🔎 Start Your Search Above the Floor

The fields below pay well above the Kansas minimum in Wichita, and some employers in them train new hires on the job. Start here:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the minimum wage in Wichita, KS in 2026?

$7.25 an hour, the Kansas and federal rate. Wichita has no separate city minimum wage, and state law does not allow one.

What is the tipped minimum wage in Kansas?

A cash wage of $2.13 an hour, with tips counted toward the rest. If tips do not bring you to $7.25 an hour, your employer must cover the gap.

Can Sedgwick County or a suburb like Derby set a higher minimum wage?

No. K.S.A. 12-16,130 applies to every city, county and local government in Kansas.

Is $7.25 what most Wichita jobs start at?

No. Federal data puts even the lowest-paid job groups in the metro at average wages above $15 an hour. Ask for the starting rate before you interview, and compare it against the local averages, not the legal floor.

Find Wichita Work That Pays What You're Worth

Knowing the going rate is leverage. Create a free LocalJobPage account to save searches and get new Wichita postings as they land, or browse every current Wichita job and compare posted pay side by side.

Employers: hiring in Sedgwick, Butler or Harvey County? Post your openings on LocalJobPage and put your starting rate where Wichita job seekers can see it.