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Welcome to a World-Class Workforce

The greater Wichita region provides direct access to the most-trained and most-advanced workers in the world. Here in the heartland of America we deliver pure, raw talent for building complex structures and products. As a world-class research and development hub, the greater Wichita region’s workforce continues to accelerate innovation and diversification.

The greater Wichita region’s highly skilled workforce positively propels businesses forward, providing a level of expertise and dedication unmatched anywhere.

#4

Skilled Manufacturing Workforce in the Nation

#1

for Percentage of Jobs Classified as High Tech

14.88%

of Greater Wichita Employees in Manufacturing (Nearly Double Compared to Other Metros)

Manufacturing the Future

The greater Wichita region’s labor force is highly skilled, in large part due to the high concentration of nearly 900 manufacturing firms in the area using high-technology design and production methods. Area manufacturers utilize precision production skills to produce high-value-added products such as industrial-commercial machinery, computer equipment, fabricated metal products, instrumentation and controls, photographic equipment, plastic and composite products, chemicals, petroleum refining equipment and electronic equipment.

  • Our highly skilled workforce is why so many world-class companies across a variety of industries are located here, including Cargill Protein, Koch Industries, Spirit AeroSystems and Textron Aviation.
  • Fortune 50 company Deloitte operates a 60,000-square-foot Smart Factory on Wichita State University Innovation Campus. The facility features an end-to-end smart production line, space for smart ecosystem sponsors and experimental labs, helping companies explore what is possible with smart factory applications and enabling them to create sustainable smart manufacturing investments.
  • The Wichita State University National Institute for Research and Digital Transformation (NIRDT) is an interconnected business solution provider and research consortium dedicated to accelerating the research and development of new and innovative digital technologies including artificial intelligence, machine learning and cyber security.
  • Manufacturing accounts for 17.46% of Wichita metro area employment – nearly double the national percentage (9.9%). (U.S. Census Bureau)
  • Of the 100 largest U.S. metro areas – Wichita ranks No. 4 in manufacturing jobs as a percentage of all jobs. (Lightcast)
  • Greater Wichita ranks No. 1 in the percent of manufacturing jobs classified as “very high-tech.” (Lightcast) 
  • Kansas is one of only ten constitutional right-to-work states in the U.S.

Portion of Total Employment in Manufacturing Sector

Wichita, KS

17.4%

Tulsa, OK

10.9%

National

9.9%

Kansas City, MO-KS

9.3%

Des Moines, IA

8.9%

Dallas, TX

8.8%

Omaha, NE

7.5%

Denver, CO

7.0%

Oklahoma City, OK

6.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau 1-yr American Community Survey, 2022

Next Steps

Andrew Nave

Executive Vice President of Economic Development

Andrew Nave

We invite you to connect with the Greater Wichita Partnership and we can help identify the workforce data solutions you’re looking for to grow your business.

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