Hiring an engineering technologist in Kansas, MO

Employers in the Kansas City, MO-KS area pay engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other a median of $79,040, with the middle half of the market between $63,530 and $96,970. Kansas residents working in architecture and engineering occupations report a median of $87,961, which is 11% above what the metro pays for this role.

What does an engineering technologist earn here?

Place of work

What employers pay

Annual wages paid by employers in the Kansas City, MO-KS area. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
25th percentile	$63,530
Median	$79,040
75th percentile	$96,970

Half of engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other in this area earn between $63,530 and $96,970. A band set below $63,530 competes for the bottom quarter of the market.

Place of residence

What Kansas residents earn

$87,961

Median earnings of Kansas residents working in architecture and engineering occupations, 5,628 people. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. Where people live, not where they work, so it is not the same measurement as the wages beside it.

The 11% figure is not a pay gap. ACS counts the civilian employed population 16 and over, part-time and part-year work included; OEWS counts wage-and-salary jobs only. The two populations differ, so read this number against other cities rather than as a shortfall: the same definitional difference applies to every city equally, which is what makes a city-to-city reading sound.

Residents here already earn more than this role pays, so your offer is competing with whatever they currently commute to.

What does the role actually involve?

Core tasks

Interpret the results of all methods of non-destructive testing (NDT), such as acoustic emission, electromagnetic, leak, liquid penetrant, magnetic particle, neutron radiographic, radiographic, thermal or infrared, ultrasonic, vibration analysis, and visual testing.
Interpret or evaluate test results in accordance with applicable codes, standards, specifications, or procedures.
Identify defects in solid materials, using ultrasonic testing techniques.
Make radiographic images to detect flaws in objects while leaving objects intact.
Prepare reports on non-destructive testing results.

O*NET 29.1, task statements for SOC 17-3029.

Tools and technologies in demand

Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Autodesk AutoCAD, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Project.

O*NET 29.1, flagged in demand or hot for this occupation. Useful as a screen, not as a checklist.

Is the talent actually in Kansas?

This is a job zone three: medium preparation needed occupation. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

It does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 37.8% of Kansas adults hold one. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501.

The average Kansas commute runs 21.9 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 14.8% already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's median would bill roughly $15,808 to $23,712 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Price this search

Eight questions about the role. Your tier range appears on screen.

Hiring an engineering technologist somewhere else?

Same role, different market. The wage band moves with the metro.

Other architecture and engineering roles in Kansas

Kansas is the largest of 2 Missouri cities in this dataset.