BLS metro-level wage data places Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education pay in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA at a median of $62,480 per year, drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $72,040, Des Moines-West Des Moines pays 13% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 2,660 secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical educations are employed across the Des Moines-West Des Moines MSA in SOC 25-2031.

The Des Moines-West Des Moines pay distribution spans from $47,870 at the 10th percentile to $82,100 at the 90th — a 1.7× 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 $50,980 and the 75th at $77,550, so half of Des Moines-West Des Moines-based secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical educations 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.