KC Tech Talent Trends Report: 2026

TriCom has been heavily involved in Kansas City's IT staffing market for more than 30 years, and we've seen plenty of trends come and go throughout those decades. The 2020s, thus far, have been incredibly disruptive, most notably with the rise of artificial intelligence. Tech staffing in the KC metro has changed in many ways, but there have been underlying constants, as well.

In this comprehensive report, we've drawn data from our own original research, academic studies, reputable news outlets, governmental reports, and extensive consumer polls. Through our primary and secondary research, we've created a detailed report that highlights the biggest trends in the KC tech market within the past year and those that we're likely to see in 2026. All sources have been published within the past two years for maximum relevance, and our analysis of all sources has been thorough to ensure optimal accuracy.

In this report, you'll find free information on:

• The state of KC IT employment
• Typical compensation for tech workers in KC
• A comparative analysis of tech jobs in Kansas vs. Missouri
• Tech economic impact by Midwestern city
• Unemployment rates for new tech grads
• Unemployment rates by tech career
• Top careers in technology
• Most common tech roles in KC
• Why tech workers change employers
• AI's environmental ramifications
• Top tech skills in KC
• And much more

To give you a preview of what's included, take a look at three sample slides:

1 This slide on KC IT employment showcases the local distributed workforce and our original research, the latter of which discovered that nearly half of KC's tech professionals work for a non-local company.

2 This is just one of the slides that investigates why tech workers change employers. The technology they use was the most important factor, followed by company culture and relationships.

3 In 2025, generative AI consumed as much water as the bottled water industry, according to academic, peer-reviewed research. This infographic also showcases that AI's demand could equal the power required for 22% of American homes, as reported by MIT Technology Review. To combat environmental harm, companies must be more mindful of their AI use cases.