Lawrence, KS
Across all occupations in the Lawrence, KS metropolitan area, the median wage is $47,390 a year ($22.78 an hour) and the mean $60,950, May 2025. That median is −7% against the US median of $50,980 and −1% against Kansas's $48,010. BLS counts 51,750 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is physicians, all other; the largest is fast food and counter workers.
All occupations: Lawrence, KS vs Kansas and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Lawrence, KS | Hourly | $13.53 | $16.72 | $22.78 | $34.05 | $51.47 | $29.30 | 51,750 |
| Annual | $28,140 | $34,790 | $47,390 | $70,820 | $107,050 | $60,950 | ||
| Kansas | Hourly | $13.72 | $17.25 | $23.08 | $34.75 | $49.64 | $29.15 | 1,437,520 |
| Annual | $28,530 | $35,880 | $48,010 | $72,280 | $103,250 | $60,640 | ||
| United States | Hourly | $15.00 | $18.07 | $24.51 | $38.71 | $61.81 | $33.54 | 155,495,730 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $37,590 | $50,980 | $80,520 | $128,560 | $69,770 | ||
230 detailed occupations publish a median in this area. State profile: Kansas. Compare any occupation across every area in the wage explorer.
20 highest-paying occupations in Lawrence, KS
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physicians, All Other | $432,860 | $208.10 | 80 |
| 2 | Family Medicine Physicians | $275,960 | $132.67 | 30 |
| 3 | Sales Managers in Kansas | $189,740 | $91.22 | 180 |
| 4 | Financial Managers in Kansas | $171,290 | $82.35 | 170 |
| 5 | Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary | $170,660 | * | 40 |
| 6 | Business Teachers, Postsecondary | $169,130 | * | 150 |
| 7 | Chief Executives | $164,800 | $79.23 | 60 |
| 8 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $156,080 | $75.04 | 60 |
| 9 | Marketing Managers | $148,550 | $71.42 | 80 |
| 10 | Education Administrators, Postsecondary | $140,710 | $67.65 | 420 |
| 11 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Kansas | $135,920 | $65.35 | 130 |
| 12 | Pharmacists | $133,880 | $64.37 | 160 |
| 13 | First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $128,760 | $61.90 | 50 |
| 14 | Medical and Health Services Managers | $127,760 | $61.42 | 170 |
| 15 | Nurse Practitioners | $126,650 | $60.89 | 100 |
| 16 | Physician Assistants | $126,340 | $60.74 | 30 |
| 17 | Industrial Production Managers | $126,170 | $60.66 | 60 |
| 18 | Construction Managers | $121,660 | $58.49 | 110 |
| 19 | Human Resources Managers | $112,130 | $53.91 | 70 |
| 20 | Administrative Services Managers | $111,780 | $53.74 | 50 |
Ranked by median; an occupation whose median BLS withholds or top-codes in this area cannot appear here, however well it pays.
20 largest occupations in Lawrence, KS
Most concentrated occupations in Lawrence, KS
The 10 occupations with the highest location quotient among those employing at least 100 people in the area. A quotient of 2.00 means the occupation's share of local jobs is twice its national share.
| Rank | Occupation | Location quotient | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communications Teachers, Postsecondary | 11.78 | 120 | 2.23 | $109,350 |
| 2 | Printing Press Operators | 10.34 | 500 | 9.59 | $41,890 |
| 3 | Education Administrators, Postsecondary | 6.94 | 420 | 8.05 | $140,710 |
| 4 | Business Teachers, Postsecondary | 5.57 | 150 | 2.94 | $169,130 |
| 5 | Fundraisers | 4.55 | 170 | 3.25 | $65,820 |
| 6 | Instructional Coordinators | 4.48 | 340 | 6.56 | $61,900 |
| 7 | Tutors | 3.49 | 200 | 3.93 | $23,630 |
| 8 | Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors | 2.85 | 310 | 5.93 | $34,560 |
| 9 | Information and Record Clerks, All Other | 2.60 | 120 | 2.26 | $42,380 |
| 10 | Librarians and Media Collections Specialists | 2.52 | 110 | 2.17 | $64,990 |
Occupation groups in Lawrence, KS
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $110,020 | $129,260 | 3,190 | 61.73 | 0.86 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $84,270 | $94,680 | 720 | 13.86 | 0.82 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $84,220 | $90,180 | 1,550 | 29.90 | 0.88 |
| Legal | $80,590 | $94,730 | 270 | 5.19 | 0.62 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $78,020 | $99,570 | 2,680 | 51.77 | 0.82 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $75,650 | $83,530 | 2,980 | 57.61 | 0.85 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $65,270 | $76,170 | 960 | 18.54 | 1.96 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $60,730 | $76,850 | 4,680 | 90.37 | 1.54 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $58,770 | $60,040 | 1,750 | 33.88 | 0.87 |
| Construction and Extraction | $58,140 | $61,500 | 1,610 | 31.04 | 0.75 |
| Protective Service | $57,380 | $60,720 | 920 | 17.77 | 0.73 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $54,290 | $61,890 | 810 | 15.59 | 1.18 |
| Community and Social Service | $50,850 | $55,890 | 1,220 | 23.57 | 1.37 |
| Production | $45,340 | $49,160 | 3,310 | 63.93 | 1.16 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $44,080 | $46,580 | 5,480 | 105.89 | 0.93 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $41,590 | $43,490 | 3,050 | 59.03 | 0.67 |
| Healthcare Support | $36,900 | $38,340 | 1,890 | 36.45 | 0.72 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $36,450 | $37,870 | 40 | 0.77 | 0.28 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $36,180 | $38,380 | 1,420 | 27.49 | 0.94 |
| Sales and Related | $35,440 | $46,520 | 4,460 | 86.28 | 1.00 |
| Personal Care and Service | $31,380 | $34,950 | 1,520 | 29.31 | 1.40 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $29,600 | $33,440 | 7,250 | 140.03 | 1.59 |
Every occupation in Kansas, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 230 published occupations for this area are in the wage explorer; other metros are on the metros hub.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Lawrence, KS estimates (area 29940).
*- Wage estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Jobs per 1,000 is the occupation's employment per 1,000 jobs in the Lawrence, KS area; the location quotient is that share divided by the national share.
- The concentration table keeps only occupations with employment of 100 or more in the area, so a quotient built on a handful of rounded jobs cannot top it.