Occupational Therapist Salary in Des Moines, IA

The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Occupational Therapists in Des Moines, IA is relatively tight (1.7×), suggesting pay is largely standardized — most workers earn within a fairly narrow band of the median $78,770. Roles with this distribution tend to have less negotiation leverage at the top end, but also less risk of underpayment at the bottom.

Des Moines, IA's cost-of-living index of 93.3 runs below the U.S. average, so a $78,770 salary here has the equivalent purchasing power of about $84,427 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 #70 of 70 BLS-tracked metros for Occupational Therapist pay — in the lower half nationally (100th 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.

The classic negotiation move is to anchor your ask on the 75th percentile of the BLS band — $93,770 for Occupational Therapists 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 ($108,770) without strong evidence undercuts credibility.

For new entrants, the 25th-to-50th percentile band ($70,274–$78,770) is the realistic target. For mid-career workers, the median-to-75th band ($78,770–$93,770) is the right anchor. Senior specialists and managers should be benchmarking against the 75th-to-90th band ($93,770–$108,770).

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.