BLS metro-level wage data places Dentists, General pay in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA at a median of $209,300 per year ($100.62/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $170,950, Des Moines-West Des Moines pays +22% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 360 dentists, generals are employed across the Des Moines-West Des Moines MSA in SOC 29-1021.

The Des Moines-West Des Moines pay distribution spans from $137,870 at the 10th percentile to $259,990 at the 90th — a 1.9× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $175,000 and the 75th at $216,210, so half of Des Moines-West Des Moines-based dentists, generals earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide IA data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.