Workers among state’s lowest paid
Staff writer
Marion County employers are among the lowest paying in Kansas, offering weekly wages 52.8% below the state average, according to a new report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Wages in east central Kansas tend to be lower, but Marion County wages are among the lowest of the low, ranking 98th among the state’s 105 counties.
All neighboring counties have higher wages. Morris County wages are 1.7% higher; Dickinson, 13.3%; Chase, 14.1%; Harvey, 23.4%; Butler, 27.8%; Saline, 30.3%; and McPherson, 60.8%.
In dollars, Marion County workers earn an average of $781 a week — $19.52 an hour for a 40-hour week or $40,612 a year.
Among Kansas’ 105 counties, only Osage ($719), Wallace ($721), Jewell ($731), Elk ($736), Kiowa ($743), and Chatauqua ($777) have lower average wages than Marion County.
Despite ranking 99th in pay, Marion County ranks 42nd in number of employers (342) and 42nd in number of employees (3,700).
The top-paying counties in the state are Johnson (110.9% above Marion County’s pay), Coffey (101.4%), Wyandotte (75.0%), Shawnee (65.4%), and Sedgwick (64.7%).
Overall, Kansas ranked 40th out of 50 states. New York was first with average weekly wages of $2,363. Mississippi was lowest at $1,051.
Employment increased in three of Kansas’ four largest counties, and wages increased in all found, from 2.6% in Johnson County to 4.2% in Shawnee County. Corresponding data for smaller counties was not available.
All numbers, released Friday in advance of the Labor Day weekend, are for the first quarter 2026.