Kent Hourly Wage & Salary 2026
Kent, OH: $23.48/hr median hourly wage, $48,840 median annual salary, cost of living index 82.3, and $10.45/hr minimum wage. Calculate take-home pay with federal and Ohio taxes.
Kent Hourly Wage Quick Answer
The median hourly wage in Kent, OH is $23.48/hr,and the median annual wage is $48,840. Entry-level pay estimates around $14.56/hr, senior-level pay estimates around $33.34/hr, and the local minimum wage is $10.45/hr.
Median figures: BLS OEWS May 2025, all occupations, Akron, OH metropolitan statistical area (319,560 jobs). BLS publishes wages by metro area, not by city, so Kent shares this figure with the rest of its metro. Entry and senior levels are Salario estimates.
Median Salary
$48,840
$23.48/hr
Cost of Living
82.3
US avg = 100
Minimum Wage
$10.45
per hour
Unemployment
3.2%
rate
Kent, OH Overview
Population
29,667
Median Salary
$48,840
Average Salary
$63,430
Avg Commute
19 min
Median Home Price
$188,000
Median Rent
$767/mo
Job Growth
+1.4%
Sales Tax
5.75%
Kent is located in Ohio with a population of 29,667. The median annual wage across all occupations is $48,840 ($23.48/hour, BLS OEWS May 2025, Akron, OH metro), which is $2,140 below the national median of $50,980. The national median is the BLS OEWS May 2025 all-occupations median annual wage. The average commute time is 19 minutes, and the city has a job growth rate of +1.4%.
Kent Salary by Experience Level (2026)
Wage distribution in Kent, OH built around the $48,840 median salary (BLS OEWS May 2025, all occupations, Akron, OH metro). Entry-level represents 10th–25th percentile; mid-level is the median; senior-level represents 75th–90th percentile. The non-median rows are Salario estimates.
| Experience Level | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage | Years Exp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-Level | $30,281 | $14.56/hr | 0–2 years |
| Mid-Level (Median) | $48,840 | $23.48/hr | 3–7 years |
| Senior-Level | $69,353 | $33.34/hr | 8–15 years |
| Top 10% (90th Percentile) | $86,935 | $41.79/hr | 15+ years / leadership |
Percentile multipliers (62%, 100%, 142%, 178%) are Salario approximations of the typical all-occupations wage spread in BLS OEWS metro tables; only the median row is a published BLS value. Specific roles vary; see jobs by city for role-specific data.
Kent Paycheck Calculator
Enter your annual salary to see your estimated take-home pay in Kent, OH, after federal, state, and local taxes.
Estimated Annual Take-Home Pay
$40,386
$3,365.50/month · $1,553.31/biweekly · Effective Rate: 17.3%
Biweekly paycheck estimate: this salary equals about $1,553.31 take-home per paycheck after estimated Ohio and federal taxes. For the 26-paycheck formula, three-paycheck months, and withholding examples, see the Biweekly Paycheck Calculator.
Gross Pay
$48,840
Federal Tax
-$3,681
State Tax
-$627
Local Tax
-$410
FICA
-$3,736
Net Pay
$40,386
Pay Breakdown
| Item | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary | $4,070.00 | $48,840.00 |
| Federal Income Tax | -$306.73 | -$3,680.80 |
| Ohio State Tax (1.28% eff.) | -$52.23 | -$626.73 |
| Local Tax (0.84%) | -$34.19 | -$410.26 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | -$252.34 | -$3,028.08 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | -$59.02 | -$708.18 |
| Net Take-Home Pay | $3,365.50 | $40,385.95 |
Salary Comparison: Kent vs Other Cities
See how Kent's median salary and cost of living compare to the national average and similar cities.
| City | Median Salary | COL Index | Adj. Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent, OH | $48,840 | 82.3 | $59,344 |
| National Average | $50,980 | 100 | $50,980 |
| Akron, OH | $48,840 | 84 | $58,143 |
| Cuyahoga Falls, OH | $48,840 | 85.7 | $56,989 |
| Stow, OH | $48,840 | 81.2 | $60,148 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $48,830 | 96 | $50,865 |
Adjusted salary reflects purchasing power when cost of living is factored in. A higher adjusted salary means your money goes further.
Cost of Living in Kent
Kent's cost of living index is 82.3 (national average = 100). Living in Kent is 17.700000000000003% less expensive than the national average.
Median Home Price
$188,000
Median Monthly Rent
$767
Annual Rent Cost
$9,204
Your Salary's Purchasing Power
Your $40,386 annual take-home pay in Kent has the purchasing power of approximately $49,072 in an average-cost US area. Your $48,840 salary stretches further here than in most US cities.
Top Industries in Kent
Kent's economy is driven by these key industries. Workers in top industries often earn significantly above the median salary of $48,840.
Salary Tips for Kent Workers
- Your salary goes further here. Kent has a cost of living 17.700000000000003% below the national average. A salary of $48,840 here has the purchasing power of about $59,344 in an average-cost area.
- Research top industries. Kent's top industries include Manufacturing, Healthcare, Finance. Targeting roles in these sectors can help you earn above the $48,840 median salary.
- Review your W-4 withholding. If you regularly receive large tax refunds, adjust your W-4 to increase your per-paycheck take-home pay instead of giving the government an interest-free loan.
Other Cities in Ohio
Kettering
Lakewood
Lancaster
Lima
Lorain
Mansfield
Marion
Mason
Massillon
Mentor
Middletown
Newark
Methodology & Local Economy Data Sources
How we calculate Kent salary data: The median annual wage, median hourly wage and mean wage are the official BLS OEWS May 2025 all-occupations values for the Akron, OH metropolitan statistical area, retrieved from the BLS Public Data API on September 17, 2026. BLS does not publish city-level wages, so every city inside that metro shows the same figure. The entry/senior/top-10% rows, the paycheck estimate and the purchasing-power conversion are Salario calculations built on that median. Cost-of-living adjustments use the C2ER Cost of Living Index baseline of 100 (national average), with Kent indexed at 82.3.
- Median salary: $48,840 annual, $23.48 hourly, BLS OEWS May 2025, all occupations, Akron, OH MSA (319,560 jobs surveyed). Mean wage $63,430 (BLS). Salario's previous modeled median for Kent was $45,352.
- Tax burden reflects Ohio 2026 state income tax brackets and standard deduction (top rate 2.75%), plus Kent local tax of 0.84%, sales tax (5.75%), and federal taxes per IRS 2026 brackets.
- Unemployment rate for Kent: 3.2%, sourced from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS).
- Top industries: Manufacturing, Healthcare, Finance, based on QCEW employment concentration data.
- Job growth: 1.4% projected through 2034, derived from BLS Employment Projections program for Ohio.
- Housing context: median home price $188,000, median rent $767/mo, sourced from Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
Authoritative US data sources for Kent, OH:
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), metropolitan area salary data
- BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Kent unemployment rate
- U.S. Census Bureau, Kent QuickFacts, population, housing, demographics
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), county-level industry employment
- BLS Economy at a Glance, Ohio, state economic indicators
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), local GDP and personal income data
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), regional inflation tracking
Disclaimer: Salary and cost data are estimates for general guidance. Individual compensation varies by employer, experience, education, negotiation, and skills. Kent's rapidly changing economy can shift these baselines, always verify with current job listings, employer offers, and recent Ohio labor market reports for the most current figures.
Reviewed by Harlan Voss · Last updated September 17, 2026 · Wage figures: BLS OEWS May 2025 release (published May 2026) · Census data current as of latest releases
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hourly wage in Kent, OH?
The median hourly wage in Kent, OH is $23.48 per hour, the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for all occupations in the Akron, OH metropolitan area, and the BLS median annual wage is $48,840. Entry-level workers are estimated around $14.56/hr, while senior-level workers are estimated around $33.34/hr before overtime, bonuses, or benefits (Salario estimates, not BLS percentiles).
What is the median salary in Kent, OH?
The median salary in Kent, OH is $48,840 per year, or $23.48 per hour (BLS OEWS May 2025, all occupations, Akron, OH metro area). The BLS mean salary is $63,430. This is $2,140 below the BLS national median of $50,980.
What is the cost of living in Kent, OH?
Kent's cost of living index is 82.3 (national average = 100), meaning it is 17.700000000000003% less expensive compared to the national average. The median home price is $188,000 and the median monthly rent is $767.
What are the best industries in Kent?
The top industries in Kent, OH include Manufacturing, Healthcare, Finance. The city has a job growth rate of 1.4% and an unemployment rate of 3.2%. Workers in these industries often earn above the city's median salary of $48,840.
How does Kent's salary compare to other cities?
Kent's median salary of $48,840 is 4.2% below the national median of $50,980. However, when adjusted for cost of living (index: 82.3), the real purchasing power is approximately $59,344.
What is the minimum wage in Kent, OH?
The minimum wage in Kent, OH is $10.45 per hour. This equals approximately $21,736 per year for a full-time worker (40 hours/week). This is $3.20 above the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour.