Labor Market Pulse · Information Technology · October 2026
Information Technology Labor Market Report: Manhattan, KS MSA — October 2026
Manhattan security pay jumps past national median as data centers drain talent.
Manhattan's Cybersecurity Analyst median hit $135,000 against a $107,327 national figure, while Kansas data center job postings more than doubled to an indexed 247 from a 2024 baseline of 100.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Riley County unemployment: 3.6% — Down from 4.4% in August 2026
- Cybersecurity Analyst advertised pay: $135,000 metro — vs $107,327 national median
- Kansas data center job postings: Index 247 — vs 2024 baseline of 100
- KC-area tech turnover rate: 18% — vs 15% national average
Key takeaways
Security pay has flipped the usual metro discount.
Manhattan's Cybersecurity Analyst median of $135,000 now exceeds the national figure of $107,327, a significant and unusual premium for a secondary market. This likely reflects data center buildout spillover and thin local supply — treat security compensation as structurally elevated for the foreseeable term.
Network Engineer wages are closing the gap with national pay.
Metro median of $97,010 against a national $115,757 represents a narrower spread than typical for this market, with significant upward movement locally. Infrastructure headcount plans built on assumptions of a steep metro discount may need recalibration.
Data center expansion is quietly draining traditional IT talent pools.
Kansas data center postings climbed to an indexed 247 against a 2024 baseline of 100, consistent with reports that buildout activity is crowding out conventional infrastructure hiring. Expect longer time-to-fill for on-prem systems administrator and network roles as this competition continues.
Help Desk pay stability masks a widening skills bifurcation.
Help Desk/IT Support Specialist pay sits flat at $51,106 locally while Cybersecurity and Network roles post significant gains — a split consistent with national data showing AI and infrastructure specialists commanding premium growth while generalist support roles stagnate. Workforce planning should treat support staffing and specialized infrastructure staffing as separate budget conversations within IT compensation planning.
Median advertised pay by role — Manhattan, KS MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data Scientist | $83,832 | $83,919 | $83,935 | Moderate increase | $145,881 |
| Systems Administrator * | $66,498 | $79,416 | $86,799 | Stable | $102,503 |
| Network Engineer * | $75,341 | $97,010 | $113,487 | Significant increase | $115,757 |
| Software Engineer | $73,593 | $113,702 | $125,000 | Significant increase | $154,403 |
| Help Desk/IT Support Specialist | $44,980 | $51,106 | $51,418 | Stable | $53,129 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | $106,943 | $135,000 | $135,000 | Significant increase | $107,327 |
| IT Project Manager * | $90,000 | $112,016 | $124,471 | Significant increase | $118,150 |
* State-level figure shown where metro postings were too few.
WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings (reported as the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay). Download: CSV · JSON
Local market conditions
Riley County unemployment sits at 3.6% as of September, down from August's 4.4%, pointing to a tight core labor pool even as Manhattan MSA total nonfarm employment holds near 54,666 — a base too small to absorb the data center buildout now pulling infrastructure talent out of traditional IT roles across Kansas. Statewide IT systems wages are up 4.7% year-over-year against Kansas's broader 3.1% average weekly wage growth, signaling that technology compensation is decoupling from the general state labor market as employers compete for a shrinking pool of specialized workers.
What it means
Cybersecurity Analyst advertised pay in Manhattan has climbed to a metro median of $135,000 — above the $107,327 national figure — a reversal from the typical pattern of metro discounts to national pay and a sign that local demand for security talent now outstrips supply even in a secondary market. Network Engineer pay is up significantly too, at $97,010 metro versus $115,757 nationally, narrowing the usual metro-to-national gap and raising the cost case for retaining in-house infrastructure staff ahead of rebuilding teams later. Current conditions suggest reviewing retention budgets for security and network roles before Q1 planning cycles, where regional data center competition is likely to intensify further.
Looking ahead
Expected release: Kansas Department of Labor's October report, delayed by the federal shutdown, is due November 20 and should clarify whether Riley County's September dip to 3.6% unemployment holds or reverses. This will be the first clean read on how local labor supply is responding to data center-driven demand.
Emerging pressure point: Statewide data center postings have more than doubled against 2024 levels, and Kansas City's tech turnover already runs at 18% against a 15% national rate. Infrastructure and support teams in Manhattan may see accelerated attrition as data center employers recruit across the broader regional labor shed.
Worth watching: KC's position as the #2 most cost-effective tech market, with a 12–21% wage advantage over national medians, strengthens the case for nearshoring infrastructure and support functions to the broader Kansas corridor ahead of coastal markets. Watch whether Manhattan-based employers begin explicitly marketing this cost advantage in job ads, a signal of hiring demand (one ad often covers several openings), to compete for regional candidates.
Potential inflection point: National tech layoffs have already surpassed all of 2025 at 133,417 workers through October 21, even as Manhattan's Cybersecurity and Network roles post significant local wage gains. Watch whether laid-off coastal talent willing to relocate or work remotely begins softening the local premium for specialized infrastructure and security roles.
Sources
- Kansas Department of Labor / BLS — Riley County unemployment at 3.6% in September, down from 4.4% in August
- Advertised pay data (provided) — Cybersecurity Analyst and Network Engineer advertised pay figures, metro vs national
- State labor market research notes — Kansas data center job postings index climbed to 247 vs 2024 baseline of 100
- Regional labor market research notes — KC tech turnover averages 18% vs 15% national rate
- Tech layoff tracking data — 133,417 tech employees laid off at 325 companies through October 21, 2026
- Kansas Department of Labor — Kansas October labor report delayed to November 20 due to shutdown
Methodology
Advertised pay from active employer job postings, not survey data. WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings: distribution analysis shows roughly the lowest 10% of raw values are erroneous entries, so the reported median is the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay. WageScape observes 98% of U.S. job openings daily.
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