Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
Des Moines, IA Average Salary 2026
Cost of living, occupation-by-occupation pay, and percentile ranges from official BLS data.
The average salary in Des Moines, IA, Iowa is $106,494 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (2025 reference period) covering 64 occupations and roughly 83,770 workers. Adjusted for Des Moines, IA's cost-of-living index of 93.3, that nominal average translates to $114,141 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. The highest-paying tracked occupation is Obstetrician/Gynecologist at $369,390; the lowest is Clinical Laboratory Technologist at $50,240.
Des Moines, IA, IA has below-baseline cost-of-living (index 93.3), which means the $106,494 average median wage translates to higher real purchasing power than the same number would in higher-COL markets.
Highest-paying role in Des Moines, IA on BLS data is Obstetrician/Gynecologist at $369,390 median. Top-paying roles in any U.S. city skew toward physicians, executives, tech specialists, and licensed professionals; the specific ranking varies with the local industry mix. Lower-COL cities like Des Moines, IA often outperform higher-COL ones on cost-adjusted real income for the same role, especially for workers in mid-paying occupations whose gross wages do not vary as much by city.
Salaries by Occupation in Des Moines, IA
| Role | Category | Median | Range (10th–90th) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obstetrician/Gynecologist | Healthcare | $369,390 | $208,740 – $438,830 | 40 |
| Pediatrician | Healthcare | $271,190 | $71,170 – $325,380 | 90 |
| Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $265,200 | $190,600 – $520,860 | 250 |
| Dentist | Healthcare | $209,300 | $137,870 – $259,990 | 360 |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $164,840 | $111,990 – $215,440 | 2,050 |
| Financial Manager | Finance | $154,140 | $94,230 – $263,790 | 3,800 |
| Pharmacist | Healthcare | $141,110 | $123,510 – $164,900 | 850 |
| Human Resources Manager | Management | $138,140 | $91,450 – $233,690 | 520 |
| Sales Manager | Management | $136,570 | $75,420 – $223,300 | 1,200 |
| Marketing Manager | Management | $135,140 | $81,220 – $214,220 | 950 |
| Lawyer | Legal | $134,560 | $65,830 – $292,020 | 1,760 |
| Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $133,830 | $99,990 – $188,860 | 340 |
| Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $132,230 | $113,470 – $166,960 | 820 |
| Veterinarian | Healthcare | $130,900 | $80,190 – $171,590 | 210 |
| Optometrist | Healthcare | $129,780 | $67,930 – $178,320 | 110 |
| Software Developer | Technology | $126,460 | $79,170 – $168,180 | 4,240 |
| Information Security Analyst | Technology | $123,740 | $73,200 – $167,610 | 720 |
| Database Architect | Technology | $109,750 | $61,420 – $157,350 | 130 |
| Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $109,490 | $50,840 – $163,770 | 1,770 |
| Computer Network Architect | Technology | $108,280 | $66,870 – $160,320 | 640 |
| Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $107,040 | $77,790 – $153,800 | 280 |
| Audiologist | Healthcare | $104,580 | $81,600 – $122,740 | 70 |
| Data Scientist | Technology | $103,030 | $65,480 – $150,190 | 1,240 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $102,070 | $67,020 – $140,820 | 2,680 |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $101,550 | $77,210 – $179,860 | 1,330 |
| Loan Officer | Finance | $101,190 | $55,960 – $163,910 | 650 |
| Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $100,880 | $73,810 – $136,410 | 260 |
| General and Operations Manager | Management | $98,780 | $46,950 – $208,630 | 8,370 |
| Financial Analyst | Finance | $98,490 | $63,910 – $155,480 | 1,160 |
| Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $98,270 | $74,110 – $134,040 | 520 |
| Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $98,190 | $62,650 – $128,790 | 440 |
| Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $97,790 | $75,510 – $120,730 | 740 |
| Architect | Engineering | $97,460 | $61,940 – $161,960 | 310 |
| Civil Engineer | Engineering | $97,330 | $65,080 – $140,780 | 830 |
| Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $94,270 | $52,840 – $201,940 | 640 |
| Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $93,660 | $74,630 – $96,060 | 750 |
| Management Analyst | Management | $90,730 | $58,660 – $135,200 | 2,110 |
| Network Architect | Technology | $89,800 | $62,100 – $131,980 | 1,000 |
| Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $85,490 | $70,770 – $133,600 | 390 |
| Financial Examiner | Finance | $85,450 | $58,840 – $155,850 | 460 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $84,080 | $64,950 – $123,350 | 380 |
| Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $83,410 | $39,800 – $140,960 | 190 |
| Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $82,730 | $38,310 – $122,770 | 100 |
| Accountant | Finance | $79,290 | $56,390 – $128,130 | 4,850 |
| Computer Programmer | Technology | $79,200 | $53,990 – $132,180 | 320 |
| Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $78,770 | $64,610 – $108,770 | 340 |
| Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $78,630 | $64,680 – $100,500 | 8,130 |
| Market Research Analyst | Management | $76,580 | $45,920 – $128,100 | 3,440 |
| Web Developer | Technology | $75,680 | $39,730 – $129,570 | 210 |
| Plumber | Trades | $75,040 | $47,720 – $99,570 | 2,150 |
| Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $70,660 | $43,850 – $118,340 | 1,050 |
| Writer/Author | Creative | $63,010 | $52,080 – $95,440 | 90 |
| Electrician | Trades | $62,840 | $39,740 – $92,650 | 2,870 |
| Secondary School Teacher | Education | $62,480 | $47,870 – $82,100 | 2,660 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $62,050 | $47,330 – $93,760 | 640 |
| Web Designer | Technology | $61,960 | $48,850 – $103,620 | 150 |
| Elementary School Teacher | Education | $61,650 | $46,090 – $79,610 | 3,640 |
| Carpenter | Trades | $61,360 | $44,560 – $76,670 | 1,810 |
| Automotive Technician | Trades | $60,470 | $36,900 – $78,570 | 1,870 |
| Paralegal | Legal | $60,080 | $37,490 – $89,920 | 1,190 |
| Welder | Trades | $59,980 | $47,220 – $74,850 | 1,170 |
| Statistician | Technology | $58,840 | $43,710 – $116,850 | 0 |
| Graphic Designer | Creative | $56,520 | $37,570 – $79,640 | 740 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $50,240 | $39,330 – $86,010 | 700 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The single highest-paying occupation tracked in Des Moines, IA is Obstetrician/Gynecologist, with a median of $369,390 and a 90th-percentile reading of $438,830. That $230,090 spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles is typical for a role of this seniority — entry-level workers cluster near the bottom of the band, while senior specialists and managers earn at the top.
Across all 64 BLS-tracked occupations in Des Moines, IA, the average median salary is $106,494. The top five roles average $255,984 — about 2.4× the citywide average — which is the expected shape for a U.S. metro economy: a small concentration of high-skill, high-credential occupations sits well above the broader middle.
Des Moines, IA runs below the U.S. average on cost of living (index 93.3, about 7% below the national mean). Lower nominal salaries here often translate to comparable or better purchasing power than higher headline numbers in coastal hubs.
Salary Negotiation in Des Moines, IA
For salary negotiation in Des Moines, IA, the practical input is the percentile band for your role and city, not the citywide average. The OEWS publishes 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile wages for every metro and occupation; you can find your role's exact percentile in the table above and use the SalaryTruth percentile calculator to anchor your offer. Cost-of-living index 93.3 should also factor in any cross-metro comparison.
For city-vs-city moves, the right benchmark is COL-adjusted pay rather than nominal pay. Our COL-adjusted salaries guide shows the exact math; the negotiation playbook covers how to use BLS percentile bands to anchor offers.
How Des Moines, IA Salary Data Is Built
Wages on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — a federal survey of more than 1.2 million U.S. establishments, published once per year by Metropolitan Statistical Area and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. We pull the BLS data file for Des Moines, IA, match each occupation against our role catalog, and surface percentile wages alongside employment counts. The cost-of-living index (93.3) is a composite of housing, food, transportation, and utility data from public sources, calibrated to a U.S. national average of 100. Read the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average salary in Des Moines, IA in 2026?
The average salary in Des Moines, IA is $106,494 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release covering 64 occupations. The mean (employment-weighted average) gives slightly more weight to large occupations; the median across roles is also close to $106,494. The top-paying role is Obstetrician/Gynecologist at $369,390.
Is $100,000 a good salary in Des Moines, IA?
In Des Moines, IA, $100,000 has the purchasing power of $107,181 in an average-cost U.S. metro (COL index 93.3). That is above $100K of buying power — a $100K salary stretches further in Des Moines, IA than in most U.S. metros. Compared to the city's average median of $106,494, $100K is below the typical worker.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Des Moines, IA?
The top-paying tracked occupations in Des Moines, IA are Obstetrician/Gynecologist ($369,390), Pediatrician ($271,190), Family Medicine Physician ($265,200), and Dentist ($209,300). Across the top 10, median salaries range from $135,140 to $369,390. See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/des-moines.
How does Des Moines, IA's cost of living affect salaries?
Des Moines, IA has a cost-of-living index of 93.3, 7% below the U.S. national average. A nominal salary of $106,494 in this metro has the equivalent purchasing power of $114,141 in an average-cost U.S. city. Housing is the dominant driver of this gap; in higher-COL markets, mortgage or rent typically eats 5–15 percentage points more of pre-tax pay than in average-cost metros.
How many people are employed in Des Moines, IA?
Across the 64 BLS-tracked occupations on this page, total employment in the Des Moines, IA metro is approximately 83,770. BLS OEWS sample-based estimates cover all major occupational categories but exclude very small or volatile fields where the sample is too thin to publish.
Where does this Des Moines, IA salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal survey data covering about 1.2 million U.S. employers. The same data is used by the U.S. Department of Labor for prevailing wage determinations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Des Moines, IA MSA, 2026 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2026."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 64 occupations · COL Index 93.3.