State salary profile · Iowa

Iowa Salaries

Iowa wages where BEA prices sit below the national average (RPP 87.8), from BLS OEWS May 2025. Published local OEWS areas include Ames, IA, Cedar Rapids, IA, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, Dubuque, IA, Iowa City, IA, then Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Sioux City, IA-NE-SD, Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA.

$188,081
Mean of top 50 medians
709
Occupations
12
Local wage areas
56,450
Estimated jobs (top tier)

The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians in Iowa is $188,081.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, The May 2025 release has a published median for 709 occupations in Iowa; percentile boundaries and local-area rows are available only where BLS publishes them. The highest-paying reported occupation, Emergency Medicine Physicians, earns $429,050, versus $21,000 for Waiters and Waitresses at the bottom of the range. Detail is available for 8 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas. Published local OEWS areas include Ames, IA, Cedar Rapids, IA, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, Dubuque, IA, Iowa City, IA, then Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Sioux City, IA-NE-SD, Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA.

Iowa · employment ≠ wage

In Iowa, Cashiers lead by published employment (41,450 jobs, #1 of 687) but rank #672 of 687 on median wage ($28,970), while Emergency Medicine Physicians top the wage list at $429,050 (#1 of 687) with 290 jobs (#459 of 687). The largest payroll is not the highest published median.

41,450
Cashiers employment #1
$429,050
Emergency Medicine Physici... wage #1
#459
Employment rank of wage leader
#672
Wage rank of employment leader

Employment is OEWS tot_emp inside this state; pay is the occupation median. Same detailed-occupation pool, two rankings.

Employment of Iowa's #1 occupations by headcount vs median wage

Same unit (published jobs) for both named leaders. BLS OEWS May 2025.

jobs

What this shows Cashiers lead Iowa by employment; Emergency Medicine Physicians lead on median wage at $429,050.

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

Iowa, the picture in one line

Iowa ranks #42 of 54 states and territories by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage; its highest published occupation median is Emergency Medicine Physicians at $429,050. Published local OEWS areas include Ames, IA, Cedar Rapids, IA, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, Dubuque, IA, Iowa City, IA, then Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Sioux City, IA-NE-SD, Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA.

#42
of 54 states by published mean wage
$429,050
top-paying: Emergency Medicine Physicians
22nd
percentile among all states
Ames, IA
local OEWS: Ames, IA and Cedar Rapids, IA

The state rank uses BLS's All Occupations mean. Occupation rows below use occupation-specific medians; the two statistics are not interchangeable. Start local checks in Ames, IA.

Where Iowa already employs the upper wage tier

Financial Managers and Computer and Information Systems Managers lead Iowa's published employment inside this top-pay sample, order follows OEWS job counts, not median wage.

  1. 1. Financial Managers 9,130 jobs · $133,320
  2. 2. Computer and Information Systems Managers 3,920 jobs · $143,780
  3. 3. Managers, All Other 3,600 jobs · $128,080
  4. 4. Lawyers 3,550 jobs · $123,550
  5. 5. Sales Managers 3,260 jobs · $134,010
  6. 6. Nurse Practitioners 3,240 jobs · $130,160
  7. 7. Pharmacists 3,230 jobs · $138,860
  8. 8. Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary 3,230 jobs · $128,490
  9. 9. Chief Executives 3,050 jobs · $211,190
  10. 10. Marketing Managers 2,210 jobs · $131,120
  11. 11. Human Resources Managers 1,620 jobs · $126,370
  12. 12. Architectural and Engineering Managers 1,520 jobs · $147,320
  13. 13. Physicians, All Other 1,440 jobs · $295,190
  14. 14. Administrative Services Managers 1,380 jobs · $116,920
  15. 15. Dentists, General 1,240 jobs · $181,520
  16. 16. Physician Assistants 1,200 jobs · $134,770
  17. 17. Information Security Analysts 1,160 jobs · $119,710
  18. 18. Family Medicine Physicians 1,140 jobs · $265,200
  19. 19. Veterinarians 1,000 jobs · $124,610
  20. 20. Public Relations Managers 630 jobs · $120,730

Local BLS wage areas inside Iowa

Published local OEWS areas include Ames, IA, Cedar Rapids, IA, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, Dubuque, IA, Iowa City, IA, then Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Sioux City, IA-NE-SD, Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA.

Ames, IA Cedar Rapids, IA Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA Dubuque, IA Iowa City, IA Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area Sioux City, IA-NE-SD Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA

Observed statewide pay change

What changed, BLS OEWS 2024–2025

May 2024 → May 2025
  • BLS's published All Occupations median in Iowa moved from $47,670 in May 2024 to $48,540 in May 2025 (+1.8%).
  • Across the 54 states and territories priced in both releases, the median place changed +2.7%.
  • Iowa sits -0.9 pp behind that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.

Waiters and Waitresses shows the widest statewide vs national median gap in Iowa

Waiters and Waitresses publishes $21,000 here versus $35,230 nationally (-40.4%; 22,410statewide jobs). Next is Bartenders at $21,720 locally versus $34,340 nationally (-36.8%).

  1. Waiters and Waitresses$21,000 in Iowa sits 40.4% below the national Waiters and Waitresses median of $35,230 (22,410 published local jobs).
  2. Bartenders$21,720 in Iowa sits 36.8% below the national Bartenders median of $34,340 (9,560 published local jobs).
  3. Financial Managers$133,320 in Iowa sits 20.0% below the national Financial Managers median of $166,570 (9,130 published local jobs).
  4. Registered Nurses$78,630 in Iowa sits 19.4% below the national Registered Nurses median of $97,550 (34,420 published local jobs).

Waiters and Waitresses and the other occupations above are descriptive OEWS endpoints for Iowa; they are not findings about taxes, employers, or worker experience.

· Source: BLS OEWS May 2025

The Iowa OEWS table has a published median for 709 occupations. The displayed top 50 rows have summed published employment of approximately 56,450; that sum does not include the bottom table or rows whose employment is suppressed. BLS publishes means and percentile boundaries only where the corresponding estimate meets its publication standards. Averaging the medians of the top 50 highest-paying occupations gives $188,081 per year. That is only a mean of the displayed upper-tier occupation medians; it is not the BLS All Occupations mean or median and does not describe a typical worker. Published local OEWS areas include Ames, IA, Cedar Rapids, IA, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, Dubuque, IA, Iowa City, IA, then Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Sioux City, IA-NE-SD, Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA. Local OEWS areas in this extract include Ames, IA, Cedar Rapids, IA, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, Dubuque, IA, Iowa City, IA, Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Sioux City, IA-NE-SD, Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA.

At the top of the ranking, Emergency Medicine Physicians pays a Iowa median of $429,050, the highest-paying reported occupation in the state. The number-two spot goes to Dermatologists at $424,970, followed by Radiologists at $405,220. At the bottom of the published range, Waiters and Waitresses has a median of $21,000, making the displayed endpoint ratio 20.4×. The endpoints do not establish a cause or career stage. WageDex has BLS occupation rows for 8 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas assigned to Iowa, allowing comparisons below the statewide estimate without treating nonmetropolitan areas as MSAs.

Iowa's lower BEA price level (RPP 87.8) lifts the national-price reading of the published mean to about $68,144. Even then, compare Emergency Medicine Physicians and Waiters and Waitresses inside a local OEWS area before treating either median as an offer. Published local OEWS areas include Ames, IA, Cedar Rapids, IA, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, Dubuque, IA, Iowa City, IA, then Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Sioux City, IA-NE-SD, Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA. Local OEWS area names are state-specific; statewide means are not metro offers.

Top-Tier Sample

75

occupations shown below

Avg. Median Salary

$188,081

top 50 occupations

Top Salary

$429,050

Emergency Medicine Physicians

Where Iowa ranks by published mean wage

BLS All Occupations annual mean vs. 54 states & territories; local OEWS includes Ames, IA and Cedar Rapids, IA, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL

$59,830 Bottom 22% higher than 22% of 54 states & territories

$0–$5,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Below this entry. $55,000–$60,000: 8 states & territories (15%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$65,000: 16 states & territories (30%). Above this entry. $65,000–$70,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Above this entry. $70,000–$75,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Above this entry. $75,000–$80,000: 4 states & territories (7%). Above this entry. $80,000–$85,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Above this entry. $85,000–$90,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. $90,000–$95,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $95,000–$100,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $100,000–$105,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $105,000–$110,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $110,000–$115,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. This state $0 $115,000 every state & territory, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
Band Count Share
$0–$5,000 0 states & territories 0%
$5,000–$10,000 0 states & territories 0%
$10,000–$15,000 0 states & territories 0%
$15,000–$20,000 0 states & territories 0%
$20,000–$25,000 0 states & territories 0%
$25,000–$30,000 0 states & territories 0%
$30,000–$35,000 0 states & territories 0%
$35,000–$40,000 1 states & territories 2%
$40,000–$45,000 0 states & territories 0%
$45,000–$50,000 1 states & territories 2%
$50,000–$55,000 3 states & territories 6%
$55,000–$60,000 (this entry) 8 states & territories 15%
$60,000–$65,000 16 states & territories 30%
$65,000–$70,000 8 states & territories 15%
$70,000–$75,000 8 states & territories 15%
$75,000–$80,000 4 states & territories 7%
$80,000–$85,000 3 states & territories 6%
$85,000–$90,000 1 states & territories 2%
$90,000–$95,000 0 states & territories 0%
$95,000–$100,000 0 states & territories 0%
$100,000–$105,000 0 states & territories 0%
$105,000–$110,000 0 states & territories 0%
$110,000–$115,000 1 states & territories 2%

$59,830 · 22nd percentile of 54 states & territories

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

Iowa ranks #42 of 54 by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage ($59,830). It is not the median wage or a prediction for a particular worker.

National-price-equivalent mean: dividing the $59,830 BLS All Occupations mean by the BEA state RPP gives $68,144. Inputs: BEA Regional Price Parity for Iowa (RPP 87.8, 2024; 100 = national average, all items, table SARPP). The division is a WageDex calculation, not an after-tax or household-income measure.

Largest OEWS footprints in Iowa

Published employment among the top-pay sample, top 15 by jobs

jobs
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

BLS publishes wage data for 709 distinct occupations in Iowa. The table below shows the top 50 by median annual wage, reordered by published employment for this reading. Drill into the full top-100 ranking or the fastest-growing list for deeper coverage.

Top-pay occupations in Iowa, by employment

View all 100 →

Same top-pay sample as the salary ranking, sorted by published Iowa jobs so the title sequence follows the local OEWS mix.

# Occupation Median Salary
1 Financial Managers $133,320
2 Computer and Information Systems Managers $143,780
3 Managers, All Other $128,080
4 Lawyers $123,550
5 Sales Managers $134,010
6 Nurse Practitioners $130,160
7 Pharmacists $138,860
8 Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary $128,490
9 Chief Executives $211,190
10 Marketing Managers $131,120
11 Human Resources Managers $126,370
12 Architectural and Engineering Managers $147,320
13 Physicians, All Other $295,190
14 Administrative Services Managers $116,920
15 Dentists, General $181,520
16 Physician Assistants $134,770
17 Information Security Analysts $119,710
18 Family Medicine Physicians $265,200
19 Veterinarians $124,610
20 Public Relations Managers $120,730
21 Purchasing Managers $121,580
22 Actuaries $128,690
23 Optometrists $125,380
24 Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates $147,510
25 Nurse Anesthetists $273,070
26 General Internal Medicine Physicians $122,920
27 Emergency Medicine Physicians $429,050
28 Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric $189,410
29 Database Architects $124,040
30 Pediatricians, General $262,440
31 Obstetricians and Gynecologists $356,020
32 Psychiatrists $295,270
33 Radiologists $405,220
34 Computer Hardware Engineers $125,120
35 Compensation and Benefits Managers $118,250
36 Surgeons, All Other $370,390
37 Physicists $178,110
38 Cardiologists $283,070
39 Podiatrists $134,830
40 Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers $131,730
41 Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric $394,900
42 Law Teachers, Postsecondary $160,700
43 Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers $115,300
44 Physicians, Pathologists $323,460
45 Nurse Midwives $131,360
46 Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers $123,500
47 Psychologists, All Other $138,420
48 Transportation Inspectors $116,850
49 Chemical Engineers $117,590
50 Dermatologists $424,970

Lowest Paying Jobs in Iowa

Occupation Median Salary
Waiters and Waitresses $21,000
Bartenders $21,720
Tour and Travel Guides $22,490
Gambling Dealers $23,020
Motion Picture Projectionists $23,210
Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants $23,720
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers $25,460
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers $25,720
Cooks, All Other $26,060
Amusement and Recreation Attendants $27,430
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop $28,210
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers $28,210
Fast Food and Counter Workers $28,390
Childcare Workers $28,420
Cooks, Fast Food $28,510
Cashiers $28,970
Physical Therapist Aides $29,120
Dishwashers $29,300
Library Assistants, Clerical $29,480
Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders $30,060
Parking Attendants $30,070
Animal Caretakers $30,080
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant $30,110
Food Preparation Workers $30,360
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary $30,510

Fastest Growing Jobs

View all 50 →

See national growth projections alongside the published OEWS state employment estimates for each occupation in Iowa. Based on BLS employment projections 2024-2034.

Metro and Nonmetropolitan Wage Areas in Iowa

Ames, IA Cedar Rapids, IA Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA Dubuque, IA Iowa City, IA Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area Sioux City, IA-NE-SD Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA

Salary Guides

Best States for Salaries

Which states pay the most and why

Salary vs. Cost of Living

Compare local wage and price-level benchmarks

Fastest Growing Occupations

Where the job growth is heading

Nationwide states with similar All Occupations pay or employment scale

Two BLS OEWS peer sets outside Iowa. Local metro cards below stay inside this state; these neighborhoods are cross-state nearest neighbors on published All Occupations mean wage ($59,830 here) and reported employment (1,559,240 jobs here).

Similar mean wage

Nearest other states by BLS All Occupations annual mean wage.

Similar employment scale

Nearest headcount peers (floor 250,000 All Occupations jobs), distinct from the mean-wage column.

Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS All Occupations mean annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude states already listed in the mean-wage column so the two link sets stay distinct.

Local OEWS areas and related Iowa pages

Published local OEWS areas include Ames, IA, Cedar Rapids, IA, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, Dubuque, IA, Iowa City, IA, then Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Sioux City, IA-NE-SD, Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA.

Ames, IA

Local OEWS wage area

Cedar Rapids, IA

Local OEWS wage area

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL

Local OEWS wage area

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

Local OEWS wage area

Dubuque, IA

Local OEWS wage area

Iowa City, IA

Local OEWS wage area

Highest Paying in Iowa

Top 100 by median salary

Fastest Growing in Iowa

Projected 2024-2034 growth

Emergency Medicine Physicians

National occupation profile

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average of the top 50 occupation medians in Iowa? ▼
The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians is $188,081/year (BLS OEWS May 2025). It is not the statewide mean or median and does not describe the wage of a typical worker.
What is the average salary in Iowa? ▼
BLS publishes an All Occupations annual mean wage of $59,830/year for Iowa in the May 2025 OEWS release, which ranks 42nd among the 54 states and territories with a published mean. Published local OEWS areas include Ames, IA, Cedar Rapids, IA, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, Dubuque, IA, Iowa City, IA, then Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Sioux City, IA-NE-SD, Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA. This is an occupational wage estimate, not a household-income statistic or a prediction for one worker.
What is the highest paying job in Iowa? ▼
The highest paying occupation in Iowa is Emergency Medicine Physicians with a median salary of $429,050/year according to BLS data. The second highest is Dermatologists at $424,970/year.
What jobs pay the least in Iowa? ▼
The lowest published occupation median in this Iowa ranking is Waiters and Waitresses at $21,000/year. The table does not classify that occupation as entry-level or explain why its median is lowest.
How many local BLS wage areas are shown for Iowa? ▼
WageDex has occupation-level wage rows for 8 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas assigned to Iowa. Published local OEWS areas include Ames, IA, Cedar Rapids, IA, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, Dubuque, IA, Iowa City, IA, then Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Sioux City, IA-NE-SD, Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA. Nonmetropolitan reporting areas are not MSAs. Compare the same occupation and statistic across areas; published coverage can differ by occupation and geography.
How many occupations are shown for Iowa? ▼
BLS publishes wage data for 709 distinct occupations in Iowa. The 50 occupations in the displayed upper tier have a combined OEWS employment estimate of approximately 56,450 jobs in covered establishments.

Price-level sources for Iowa

BLS OEWS state wage tables → BEA Regional Price Parities → BLS LAUS unemployment → BEA personal income by state →

What to do with this data

How to use Iowa wage data in a real decision

  • Iowa prices sit below the national BEA average (RPP 87.8), so the published $59,830 mean is closer to $68,144 nationally; still re-check Emergency Medicine Physicians inside Ames, IA and Cedar Rapids, IA before relocating. Compare states
  • Inside Iowa, re-check Emergency Medicine Physicians in Ames, IA, Cedar Rapids, IA, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA or Dubuque, IA before treating the statewide median as a metro offer. Ames, IA
  • Open Emergency Medicine Physicians for percentile bands and local-area rows; Iowa's statewide median of $429,050 uses a different geography than any single metro estimate. Emergency Medicine Physicians
  • The published Iowa range runs from Waiters and Waitresses at $21,000 to Emergency Medicine Physicians at $429,050; an offer still depends on the exact role and employer. Salary calculator

BLS OEWS estimates reflect the May 2025 reference period and exclude self-employed workers; some small occupation-area cells are suppressed.

Last updated: May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

State-level employment totals and local-area breakouts from BLS OEWS State and Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, May 2025. Local areas can be metropolitan or nonmetropolitan.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. State wage figures are computed directly from BLS OEWS state-level data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Statewide figures are estimates and may not reflect pay in your specific local wage area or employer.