Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025
Computer Programmer Salary in Des Moines, IA
Technology · SOC 15-1251 · COL Index 93.3
Computer Programmers in Des Moines, IA earn a median salary of $79,200 as of 2025, with a 10th-to-90th percentile range of $53,990 to $132,180. The mean is $85,640 across approximately 320 workers. Adjusted for Des Moines, IA's cost-of-living index of 93.3, the median equates to $84,887 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
Computer Programmer in Des Moines, IA pays below the national median: $79,200 locally versus $101,212. The discount usually reflects either lower cost-of-living, smaller local industry concentration, or weaker labor demand.
Cost-of-living in Des Moines, IA runs below the national baseline (index 93.3). The cost-adjusted purchasing power of $79,200 works out to roughly $84,887 in national-baseline dollars — often higher real income than in high-cost coastal cities at the same gross wage. Wage distribution at the 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles: $64,074, $79,200, $105,690, $132,180. 320 Computer Programmer workers are documented in Des Moines, IA per the BLS OEWS survey. The percentile spread is the most useful framing — entry-level pay clusters near p25, mid-career near p50, senior-level near p75-p90.
Salary Distribution
Percentile Breakdown
| Percentile | Salary | COL-Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (Entry Level) | $53,990 | $57,867 |
| 25th Percentile | $64,074 | $68,675 |
| 50th Percentile (Median) | $79,200 | $84,887 |
| 75th Percentile | $105,690 | $113,280 |
| 90th Percentile (Top Earners) | $132,180 | $141,672 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The 10th-to-90th percentile band for Computer Programmers in Des Moines, IA is moderately wide — the 90th-percentile worker earns about 2.4× the 10th-percentile worker. That is typical for a professional role with standard career progression: experience, scope, and employer size all matter, but the spread is not so extreme that the role bifurcates into separate sub-markets.
Des Moines, IA's cost-of-living index of 93.3 runs below the U.S. average, so a $79,200 salary here has the equivalent purchasing power of about $84,887 in an average-cost metro. Lower nominal pay in markets like this often translates to comparable or better real income than higher headline numbers in coastal hubs.
Des Moines, IA ranks #61 of 64 BLS-tracked metros for Computer Programmer pay — in the lower half nationally (95th percentile). Lower nominal pay here is often offset by a lower cost of living; check the COL-adjusted figure on this page for an apples-to-apples comparison.
How to Use This in Negotiation
The classic negotiation move is to anchor your ask on the 75th percentile of the BLS band — $105,690 for Computer Programmers in Des Moines, IA — when you have meaningful experience, then bring evidence (years on the job, scope of past work, relevant certifications, comparable offers) to justify why you sit at that point in the distribution. Anchoring on the median when you have 5+ years of experience leaves money on the table; anchoring on the 90th percentile ($132,180) without strong evidence undercuts credibility.
For new entrants, the 25th-to-50th percentile band ($64,074–$79,200) is the realistic target. For mid-career workers, the median-to-75th band ($79,200–$105,690) is the right anchor. Senior specialists and managers should be benchmarking against the 75th-to-90th band ($105,690–$132,180).
For specific scripts and a full negotiation framework, see the data-driven salary negotiation guide. To benchmark your current pay, the salary percentile calculator places any number into the BLS distribution for this role and metro.
How This Salary Is Calculated
Wage figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program — a federal survey of about 1.2 million U.S. establishments, published once per year by Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. The Des Moines, IA percentile bands above (10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th) and the mean are pulled directly from the BLS data file for SOC code 15-1251 in this MSA. The COL-adjusted figure rebases salary to a U.S. national average COL of 100, using a composite index derived from public housing, food, and transportation data. Read the full methodology for details.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average Computer Programmer salary in Des Moines, IA?
Computer Programmers in Des Moines, IA earn a median salary of $79,200 as of 2025, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data. The mean (employment-weighted average) is $85,640 across roughly 320 workers in this metro.
What is the salary range for Computer Programmers in Des Moines, IA?
Pay ranges from $53,990 at the 10th percentile to $132,180 at the 90th percentile — a $78,190 spread. The 25th-to-75th percentile band ($64,074 to $105,690) is the typical anchor for salary negotiation.
Is $79,200 a good Computer Programmer salary in Des Moines, IA?
$79,200 is the BLS median — half of Computer Programmers in Des Moines, IA earn more, half earn less. Whether it is "good" depends on your experience: new entrants typically land near the 25th percentile ($64,074), mid-career workers near the median, and senior specialists near or above the 75th percentile ($105,690). Cost-of-living-adjusted to a national average baseline, the median equates to $84,887.
How does Computer Programmer pay in Des Moines, IA compare to other metros?
Des Moines, IA ranks #61 of 64 BLS-tracked metros for Computer Programmer median pay. Nominal pay is in the lower half of U.S. metros, though the cost of living usually offsets at least part of that gap.
Where does this Computer Programmer salary data come from?
Every wage figure comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal data covering 1.2 million U.S. employers. The same data feeds the U.S. Department of Labor's prevailing wage system used for H-1B and federal contracting wage determinations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Des Moines, IA MSA, SOC 15-1251, 2025 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2025."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 320 Computer Programmers tracked in Des Moines, IA.