Salaries · United States · Iowa
Salaries in Iowa 2026
The median pay for all jobs in Iowa is $48,540 a year ($23.34 an hour), 5% below the US median of $50,980 (BLS, May 2025): the 32nd highest of the 50 states and DC. Full-time workers living in Iowa earn a median of $58,344 (Census ACS 2020 to 2024).
By Dominic Roworth · From BLS, Census and BEA data, checked 31 October 2026
Pay in Iowa: the key figures
| Figure | Iowa | United States | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, all jobs | $48,540 | $50,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Average (mean) pay | $59,830 | $69,770 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lowest-paid 10% earn under | $28,930 | $31,200 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Highest-paid 10% earn over | $99,630 | $128,560 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Jobs counted | 1,559,240 | 155,495,730 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Full-time workers living here, median | $58,344 ± $280 | $61,657 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B20018 |
| Median household income | $75,059 ± $418 | $80,734 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B19013 |
| Price level (US = 100) | 87.8 | 100.0 | BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 |
| Minimum wage | $7.25 | $7.25 | State labor department |
Take-home pay on the median
On $48,540, a single person keeps about $39,989 a year ($3,332 a month) after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, Iowa income tax. With prices 12% below the US average, $48,540 here buys what $55,300 buys at average US prices.
| Median pay | $48,540 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | -$3,645 |
| Social Security | -$3,009 |
| Medicare | -$704 |
| Iowa income tax | -$1,193 |
| Take-home a year | $39,989 |
What drives pay in Iowa
Iowa's economy is built on farms, the machines that work them and the insurers of Des Moines. Manufacturing made up 16.8% of the state's GDP in 2025 (US 9.5%), insurance carriers 10.8% (US 3.1%) and farms 4.8% (US 0.7%), according to BEA. The Iowa Economic Development Authority says about 4,200 manufacturers employ over 222,000 Iowans, that the state has 11 times the US concentration of agricultural and construction equipment workers, with Deere & Company, CNH Industrial and Terex among the employers, and that Iowa ranks first among the 50 states for insurance output as a share of GDP. Principal Financial Group has had its headquarters in Iowa since it was founded in 1879.
Those industries pay well at the top, where chief executives earn a median of $211,190, but much of the workforce is in modestly paid jobs. Cashiers are the most common job (41,450, median $28,970), and heavy truck drivers, 35,040 of them, earn a median of $58,070. The all-jobs median is $48,540, 5% below the US and 32nd of the 50 states and DC.
The farm economy is now the weak point. Iowa's real GDP fell 0.4% in 2025 while the US grew 2.3%, the only state to shrink, and BEA's figures put the fall in factories and trade: real output from machinery makers dropped 8.0% and from food manufacturers 4.4%.
The highest-paid jobs in Iowa
Median annual pay, for jobs with at least 1,000 workers in the state (BLS, May 2025).
| Job | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 1,440 | $295,190 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 1,140 | $265,200 |
| Chief Executives | 3,050 | $211,190 |
| Dentists, General | 1,240 | $181,520 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 1,520 | $147,320 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 3,920 | $143,780 |
| Pharmacists | 3,230 | $138,860 |
| Physician Assistants | 1,200 | $134,770 |
| Sales Managers | 3,260 | $134,010 |
| Financial Managers | 9,130 | $133,320 |
| Marketing Managers | 2,210 | $131,120 |
| Nurse Practitioners | 3,240 | $130,160 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 3,230 | $128,490 |
| Managers, All Other | 3,600 | $128,080 |
| Human Resources Managers | 1,620 | $126,370 |
The most common jobs in Iowa
The jobs with the most workers, and what they pay.
| Job | Workers | Median a year | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cashiers | 41,450 | $28,970 | $13.93 |
| Retail Salespersons | 41,000 | $31,360 | $15.08 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 40,290 | $28,390 | $13.65 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 35,040 | $58,070 | $27.92 |
| Registered Nurses | 34,420 | $78,630 | $37.80 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 30,890 | $43,490 | $20.91 |
| General and Operations Managers | 30,760 | $87,690 | $42.16 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 30,100 | $46,090 | $22.16 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 26,770 | $36,640 | $17.62 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 25,800 | $36,080 | $17.34 |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 24,520 | $30,510 | yearly pay only |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 23,960 | $35,380 | $17.01 |
| Office Clerks, General | 23,120 | $44,310 | $21.30 |
| Nursing Assistants | 22,670 | $39,350 | $18.92 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 22,410 | $21,000 | $10.10 |
Pay for careers we cover, in Iowa
Official BLS medians for Iowa; each links to the full salary guide with pay by state.
| Career | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetist | 380 | $273,070 |
| Dentist | 1,240 | $181,520 |
| Pharmacist | 3,230 | $138,860 |
| Physician Assistant | 1,200 | $134,770 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 3,240 | $130,160 |
| Actuary | 530 | $128,690 |
| Lawyer | 3,550 | $123,550 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | 1,160 | $119,710 |
| Elevator Technician | 90 | $115,300 |
| Software Engineer | 9,040 | $114,890 |
| Commercial Pilot | 300 | $101,800 |
| Project Manager | 6,720 | $96,540 |
| Data Scientist | 2,300 | $95,830 |
| Financial Analyst | 2,000 | $92,370 |
| Air Traffic Controller | 120 | $90,790 |
| Dental Hygienist | 2,440 | $84,010 |
| Registered Nurse | 34,420 | $78,630 |
| Accountant | 13,210 | $77,440 |
| Compliance Officer | 3,660 | $75,620 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | 330 | $69,890 |
| UX Designer | 670 | $69,060 |
| Plumber | 5,730 | $63,890 |
| Electrician | 10,310 | $60,860 |
| HVAC Technician | 3,840 | $60,680 |
| Welder | 9,270 | $55,090 |
| Paralegal | 2,980 | $54,550 |
Iowa and its neighbors
| State | Median pay | Price level | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | $48,540 | 87.8 | $55,300 |
| Illinois | $51,960 | 100.0 | $52,000 |
| Minnesota | $56,920 | 98.6 | $57,700 |
| Missouri | $47,800 | 90.8 | $52,600 |
| Nebraska | $48,980 | 90.1 | $54,400 |
| South Dakota | $47,080 | 88.6 | $53,100 |
| Wisconsin | $50,270 | 94.1 | $53,400 |
Limits
BLS figures cover jobs located in Iowa, not the self-employed; Census figures cover people who live here. Take-home assumes a single filer with the standard deduction. More in our methodology.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state file)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (tables B20018 and B19013)
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state (table SARPP), 2024
- Take-home pay: Paygrade's 2026 federal and state tax engine, see the methodology.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: GDP by state and industry, 2025 (industry shares and growth rates are our calculation), data last updated 30 Sep 2026
- Iowa Economic Development Authority: Agricultural and Construction Equipment Manufacturing (fact sheet), sheet code JG 03162026 (16 Mar 2026), accessed 31 Oct 2026
- Iowa Economic Development Authority: Insurance and Financial Services (fact sheet), sheet code JG 10032025 (3 Oct 2025), accessed 31 Oct 2026
Related
- Salary comparison by city: what a salary is worth in another US city
- Salaries in the United States