Wichita is a regional hub for many industries from arts and culture to manufacturing and aerospace. But what do the numbers say about the city’s largest employers? The following is a look at the metro’s biggest economic catalysts, and key partners with Wichita State University. Numbers are full-time local employees reported by the City of Wichita and the Greater Wichita Partnership.

It is important to note that this is only a snippet of the metro's economy with a growing population of more than 650,000 people. Wichita State University has deep connections with regional employers in every industry thanks to the efforts of the Shocker Career Accelerator and business partnership development directly on campus. This allows students unmatched applied learning opportunities within their field of study.

 

Spirit AeroSystems/Boeing: 9,500 – 13,000 employees

Spirit AeroSystems – one of the world’s largest aerostructure manufacturers – was acquired by Boeing in July 2024. This marks a return of sorts of the aerospace giant to Wichita after it sold its plant in 2005, which became Spirit just a few months later.

Spirit is a Wichita State Innovation Campus partner focusing on joint research projects, applied learning for WSU students and improved workforce training services to meet the growing demands of the aerospace industry.

Textron Aviation: 9,000 – 9,350 employees

Another staple of Wichita’s robust aerospace economy, Textron offers a wide array of aircraft products across its many brands. The most notable of Textron’s brands include Cessna, Beechcraft and Hawker.

Around 40 Textron employees are housed on the Innovation Campus to work with Wichita State students in product innovation and career development.

 

Wichita Public Schools USD 259: 5,600 employees

Kansas’ largest school district educates nearly 11 percent of all public school students in the state and more than half in Sedgwick County. There are more than 47,000 students enrolled in 94 WPS schools. WPS boasted a graduation rate of 80.4 percent in 2022, a six-percentage point increase over the previous four years.

Wichita State maintains a close partnership with WPS. More than half of teachers in WPS are Wichita State grads. WPS was also the 2024 recipient of the College Champion Award from Wichita State's College of Applied Studies (CAS). This honor acknowledges the pivotal role WPS plays in providing applied learning for CAS students in a variety of programs.

Ascension Via Christi Health, Inc.: 4,413 – 5,400 employees

Ascension is the largest healthcare provider in Kansas and one of the nation’s leading non-profit and Catholic health systems. In 2023, Wichita State and Ascension announced an affiliation to expand learning opportunities for students and fuel the healthcare talent pipeline.

Also of note, the Wesley Healthcare network employs more than 2,000 employees in Wichita. This includes Wesley Medical Center – the most preferred hospital in Kansas and northern Oklahoma. Wesley also delivers more than 6,000 babies annually, the most in a 13-state region.

Koch Industries Inc.: 3,100 – 3,300 employees

Wichita boasts ties to the two largest private companies in the United States. Koch Industries is the second largest by revenue and is headquartered in Wichita. What began as an oil refining business has grown into a multinational conglomerate with reaches into more than 20 diverse industries.

The first largest private company, Cargill Inc., has its subsidiary headquarters Cargill Protein in Wichita and employs more than 1,000.

For more info about the city’s industries and Wichita State's opportunities for applied learning with its partners, reach out to the Shocker Career Accelerator.