Industry in Wichita, Kansas

As the Air Capital of the World, Kansas City is home to six major aircraft manufacturing companies, as well as McConnell Air Force Base. Wichita's four largest aircraft manufacturers are Boeing Co., Cessna Aircraft Co., Bombardier Learjet Inc., and Raytheon Aircraft Co: Boeing, Cessna and Raytheon are the city's three largest employers, with the Boeing Co. hiring 12,300 Wichita residents, Cessna hiring 8,000 and Raytheon hiring 7,000. In comparison, the U.S. Government is the city's fourth-largest employer, hiring 5,186 residents. After manufacturing, which goes beyond aircraft into outdoor recreational equipment, chemicals, meat products, household appliances, and even amusement rides, healthcare is Wichita's second-largest industry, employing approximately 28,000 people in the local area.

After Boeing, Cessna and Raytheon, other major employers in the city include Unified School District No. 259 (Wichita Public Schools District), the State of Kansas, Via Christi Health System, the City of Wichita, and Sedgwick County.

The city's unemployment rate was 6.3% in February 2005, and the median household income was $39,939 in 2000.