KC TechBridge Launches New Data Dashboard to Navigate the Region’s $12.4B Sector
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – KC TechBridge today announced the launch of a Data Intelligence Dashboard, a dynamic public resource designed to illuminate the realities of tech job availability, workforce characteristics and hiring opportunities and identify barriers in the region. A strategic initiative of the KC Tech Council and a beneficiary of Phase One of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s Collective Impact Grant, KC TechBridge provides a data-informed approach to connecting opportunity and talent in Kansas City and surrounding areas.
“Kansas City has tech job opportunities, workforce programs, training capacity and a large talent pipeline. Now, through KC TechBridge, we have clarity and a plan for coordinating the talent market. This employer-led initiative took the bold approach of understanding what it would take to fill 100% of KC tech jobs with Kansas Citians. Over the last 12 months, we built even stronger collaboration to fully understand what our market currently looks like, what we’ll need in the future and how we can all get there together, at scale.”
The dashboard offers a first-of-its-kind view into the Kansas City tech labor market:
Midcareer professionals are in demand: Nearly 70% of KC’s tech job opportunities are seeking midcareer talent within 3-5 years of experience.
Broad hiring market: Most open roles are spread across companies hiring fewer than 20 tech positions annually, creating opportunity across hundreds of employers.
Unclear requirements: 36% of tech postings don’t specify education requirements, and 20% don’t specify experience levels.
Durable skills mentioned most: Communication and cooperation appear more consistently in job posts than any specific technical skill, with the most common technical skill being cited only 16% of the time.
Entry points still exist but are worth close monitoring: Some early-career tech salaries typically range from $60-80K, with roles requiring no specified education showing a $73K midpoint salary.
Through these findings and more, KC TechBridge empowers employers, job seekers, educators, training partners and civic stakeholders with actionable data to strengthen and scale the region’s tech talent pipeline.
“Data alone doesn’t solve workforce challenges, but shared data changes how we work together. The KC TechBridge dashboard gives us a practical way to connect education, talent and business needs, supporting better handoffs from learning to working. That shared view turns insight into alignment and helps strengthen the region’s tech workforce.”
The dashboard is designed for action, featuring the following:
Jobs opening rate calculation: as a common measure to quantify talent supply and demand gaps by tech occupation. Recent data shows stable opening rates across most tech roles, with measurable growth in AI research positions during early 2025.
Leveraging industry-standard SOC codes: to define 19 distinct tech job categories, from software developers and data scientists to information security analysts and computer systems managers.
The data dashboard advances KC TechBridge’s work and engages a robust employer-led coalition of 1,400+ stakeholders. The next update to the dashboard is expected this summer, and the KC TechBridge initiative is currently under review for longer-term implementation funding by the Kauffman Foundation.
To access the Data Intelligence Dashboard and learn more about KC TechBridge, visit KCTechBridge.org.
About KC TechBridge:
KC TechBridge is an employer-led initiative of the KC Tech Council that leverages data intelligence to strengthen Kansas City's tech talent pipeline. Supported by the Kauffman Foundation's Collective Impact Grant and engaging 1,400+ regional stakeholders, KC TechBridge provides actionable insights to connect talent with opportunity across the region's $12.4 billion tech sector. | kctechbridge.org
About KC Tech Council:
The KC Tech Council is the voice of Kansas City’s tech industry. It serves as the regional advocate for the tech industry, comprising 170+ member and sponsor companies ranging from large enterprises to small businesses. Advocacy work is focused around three strategic pillars: industry access and connectivity, public policy advocacy at every level of government, and workforce development. In conjunction with strategic partners, active stakeholders and unique cultural and lifestyle advantages, the KC Tech Council elevates Kansas City as a leading technology hub. | kctechcouncil.com
