StateRates

Des Moines-West Des Moines salaries

The median worker in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area earned $50,450 a year in 2024, about $24.26 an hour. That ranks #68 of the 391 metro areas published here, 1.9% above the national median.

Iowa

Median pay $50,450 $24.26 per hour
Vs national +1.9% U.S. $49,500
Workers 405,130 wage and salary
Metro rank #68 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Des Moines-West Des Moines pays 5.8% more than Iowa as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.

Housing here moved 0.0% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +26.9% over five years. Pay and house prices rarely move together, and where they diverge for long the affordability of an area changes even when nothing about the jobs does. House prices in Des Moines-West Des Moines.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Agricultural Technicians 13.96× 530 $39,340
Actuaries 6.94× 520 $131,460
Telemarketers 4× 700 $31,200
Insurance Underwriters 3.52× 1,000 $81,280
Financial Examiners 3.27× 540 $83,240
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators 2.82× 2,260 $64,170
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators 2.79× 820 $60,740
Rehabilitation Counselors 2.72× 640 $41,070
Financial Specialists, All Other 2.64× 880 $77,760
Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other 2.39× 1,230 $64,820
Butchers and Meat Cutters 2.21× 810 $36,140
Data Scientists 2.15× 1,320 $102,030

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Des Moines-West Des Moines
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Chief Executives $213,620 $102.70 1,080
Dentists, General $201,450 $96.85 220
Real Estate Brokers $157,100 $75.53 330
Computer and Information Systems Managers $147,160 $70.75 1,910
Financial Managers $143,600 $69.04 4,090
Managers, All Other $139,520 $67.08 1,350
Human Resources Managers $137,350 $66.04 570
Physician Assistants $134,400 $64.61 260
Architectural and Engineering Managers $134,310 $64.57 300
Marketing Managers $134,170 $64.50 970
Pharmacists $133,390 $64.13 770
Sales Managers $132,370 $63.64 1,040
Nurse Practitioners $131,820 $63.38 590
Actuaries $131,460 $63.20 520
Software Developers $124,630 $59.92 4,750
Administrative Services Managers $123,190 $59.23 490
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products $123,030 $59.15 910
Computer Network Architects $119,170 $57.30 670
Lawyers $118,750 $57.09 1,730
Information Security Analysts $117,380 $56.43 700
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $117,020 $56.26 310
Public Relations Managers $114,970 $55.27 220
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $111,470 n/a 820
Electrical Engineers $110,350 $53.05 380
Computer Occupations, All Other $108,040 $51.94 1,830
Veterinarians $105,500 $50.72 240
Industrial Production Managers $105,220 $50.59 520
Medical and Health Services Managers $103,370 $49.70 1,450
Data Scientists $102,030 $49.05 1,320
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists $101,880 $48.98 270
Facilities Managers $100,650 $48.39 460
Industrial Engineers $100,440 $48.29 700
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $100,210 $48.18 520
Financial Risk Specialists $100,210 $48.18 220
Construction Managers $99,410 $47.79 780
Computer Systems Analysts $98,990 $47.59 2,520
Physical Therapists $98,110 $47.17 800
Engineers, All Other $98,040 $47.13 260
Occupational Therapists $97,190 $46.73 320
Loan Officers $97,000 $46.64 1,050
Civil Engineers $96,440 $46.36 780
Speech-Language Pathologists $95,910 $46.11 340
Financial and Investment Analysts $95,850 $46.08 1,290
General and Operations Managers $93,750 $45.07 9,080
Project Management Specialists $93,440 $44.92 2,350
Computer Programmers $93,060 $44.74 430
Dental Hygienists $92,920 $44.67 550
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval $90,520 $43.52 370
Personal Financial Advisors $90,290 $43.41 1,020
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers $89,260 $42.91 840
Budget Analysts $88,720 $42.66 200
Mechanical Engineers $88,500 $42.55 650
Soil and Plant Scientists $86,120 $41.41 240
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $86,050 $41.37 390
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $85,420 $41.07 1,120
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $84,310 $40.53 1,080
Business Operations Specialists, All Other $84,070 $40.42 5,150
Property Appraisers and Assessors $83,950 $40.36 200
Credit Analysts $83,440 $40.12 300
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary $83,320 n/a 200

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Des Moines-West Des Moines by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Customer Service Representatives 11,210 $48,240 $23.19
Retail Salespersons 10,060 $31,360 $15.08
Fast Food and Counter Workers 9,590 $29,010 $13.95
Cashiers 9,420 $29,780 $14.32
General and Operations Managers 9,080 $93,750 $45.07
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 8,580 $58,880 $28.31
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 7,900 $44,530 $21.41
Registered Nurses 7,800 $78,970 $37.97
Stockers and Order Fillers 6,880 $37,330 $17.95
Office Clerks, General 6,530 $44,350 $21.32
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 6,410 $35,150 $16.90
Waiters and Waitresses 5,840 $28,840 $13.87
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 5,620 $35,480 $17.06
Accountants and Auditors 5,220 $77,630 $37.32
Business Operations Specialists, All Other 5,150 $84,070 $40.42
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary 5,010 $33,280 n/a
Nursing Assistants 4,870 $39,790 $19.13
Software Developers 4,750 $124,630 $59.92
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products 4,620 $65,280 $31.39
Financial Managers 4,090 $143,600 $69.04

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.

Other Iowa metro areas

Des Moines-West Des Moines pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Des Moines-West Des Moines?

The median across all occupations is $50,450, or $24.26 an hour, covering 405,130 wage and salary workers. The mean is $64,660, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Des Moines-West Des Moines pay more than the rest of Iowa?

Yes. The metro median of $50,450 is 5.8% above the Iowa median of $47,670. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.

Which jobs pay best in Des Moines-West Des Moines?

Chief Executives ($213,620), Dentists, General ($201,450), Real Estate Brokers ($157,100). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Des Moines-West Des Moines unusually full of?

Agricultural Technicians, at 13.96× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.