Average Salary in Iowa
What workers in Iowa earn: mean and median wages, monthly and hourly pay, the full wage distribution, household income and cost-of-living context. Wage data: BLS OEWS May 2025.
- Mean annual wage$59,830Rank #42 of 51 · US $69,770
- Median annual wage$48,540Rank #32 of 51 · US $50,980
- Mean hourly wage$28.76Median $23.34/hour
- Median monthly pay$4,045Mean $4,986/month
- Median household income$75,501ACS 2024 · rank #35
- Price level (RPP)87.8US = 100 · BEA 2024
What is the average salary in Iowa?
The average (mean) annual wage across all occupations in Iowa is $59,830, and the median annual wage is $48,540, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 OEWS estimates. The mean is 14.2% below the national mean of $69,770; the median is 4.8% below the national median of $50,980. Iowa ranks #42 of the 50 states and DC for mean wage and #32 for median wage.
The mean is $11,290 (23%) higher than the median. That gap is normal: a minority of very high earners pulls the average up, so the median is the better guide to what a typical worker in Iowa earns. Why mean and median differ →
The estimates cover 1,559,240 wage and salary jobs in Iowa (self-employed workers are not included).
Monthly, weekly and hourly pay in Iowa
Gross pay before taxes. Monthly = annual ÷ 12, bi-weekly = annual ÷ 26, weekly = annual ÷ 52. Hourly figures are published by BLS.
| Pay period | Mean (average) | Median (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual | $59,830 | $48,540 |
| Monthly | $4,986 | $4,045 |
| Bi-weekly paycheck | $2,301 | $1,867 |
| Weekly | $1,151 | $933 |
| Hourly | $28.76 | $23.34 |
Estimate take-home pay on the Iowa median wage (2026 tax year) →
What is a good salary in Iowa?
“Good” depends on your household and where in the state you live, but the wage distribution shows where a salary stands relative to other workers in Iowa:
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $28,930 | $2,411 | 90% of workers earn more |
| 25th | $36,570 | $3,048 | 75% earn more |
| 50th (median) | $48,540 | $4,045 | half earn more, half less |
| 75th | $70,290 | $5,858 | top 25% earn more than this |
| 90th | $99,630 | $8,302 | top 10% earn more than this |
In practice, a salary above $48,540 beats more than half of Iowa workers, about $70,290 puts you in the top quarter, and $99,630 or more puts you in the top 10%. These are individual wages, not household income. Compare percentiles across states →
Household income and earnings in Iowa
| Measure (ACS 2024) | Iowa | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $75,501 | $81,604 |
| Median family income | $96,797 | $101,265 |
| Per-capita income | $40,536 | $45,256 |
| Median earnings, all workers with earnings | $44,656 | $46,949 |
| Median earnings, men working full-time year-round | $63,372 | $66,965 |
| Median earnings, women working full-time year-round | $51,145 | $55,678 |
Household income adds up the income of everyone in a household — often two earners, plus Social Security, investment and self-employment income — so it is higher than any per-worker wage figure. Women working full-time year-round in Iowa have median earnings equal to 81% of men’s. Household income in every state →
Salary vs. cost of living in Iowa
Prices in Iowa are about 12.2% below the national average (BEA regional price parity 87.8; housing 65.3). Adjusted for that, the median wage of $48,540 is worth $55,285 at national-average prices (rank #13), and the mean wage is worth $68,144 (rank #26). Cost-of-living adjusted ranking →
Iowa taxes wage income, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures above by federal tax, FICA and state income tax.
Iowa vs. neighboring states
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | RPP | Adjusted median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | $59,830 | $48,540 | 87.8 | $55,285 |
| Illinois | $71,130 | $51,960 | 100.0 | $51,960 |
| Minnesota | $71,160 | $56,920 | 98.6 | $57,728 |
| Missouri | $62,160 | $47,800 | 90.8 | $52,643 |
| Nebraska | $62,400 | $48,980 | 90.1 | $54,362 |
| South Dakota | $57,610 | $47,080 | 88.6 | $53,138 |
| Wisconsin | $64,270 | $50,270 | 94.1 | $53,422 |
Highest-paying occupations in Iowa
Detailed occupations with at least 300 jobs in the state, ranked by mean annual wage. “$239,200+” means BLS reports only that the wage is at or above that level.
| Occupation | Mean wage | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anesthesiologists | $239,200+ | $239,200+ | 450 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $279,120 | $265,200 | 1,140 |
| Physicians, All Other | $273,160 | $295,190 | 1,440 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $253,510 | $273,070 | 380 |
| Chief Executives | $237,270 | $211,190 | 3,050 |
| Dentists, General | $198,470 | $181,520 | 1,240 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $191,200 | $122,920 | 380 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $173,080 | $128,490 | 3,230 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $154,640 | $143,780 | 3,920 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $153,060 | $147,320 | 1,520 |
Most common jobs in Iowa and what they pay
| Occupation | Employment | Median wage | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
The largest occupation in Iowa is cashiers, with 41,450 jobs and a median wage of $28,970. Many of the most common jobs pay well below the state median, which is one reason the overall median sits far below the mean.
Salaries for 54 common occupations in Iowa
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Iowa?
The average (mean) annual wage in Iowa is $59,830, or $28.76 per hour, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The median wage — what a typical worker earns — is $48,540 a year ($23.34 per hour).
What is the average monthly salary in Iowa?
Dividing the annual figures by 12, the mean wage in Iowa works out to about $4,986 per month and the median wage to about $4,045 per month, before taxes.
What is considered a good salary in Iowa?
Earning more than the median of $48,540 puts you above half of all workers in Iowa. A salary of $70,290 or more is in the top 25%, and $99,630 or more is in the top 10% of wage earners in the state.
What is the median household income in Iowa?
Median household income in Iowa was $75,501 in the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, compared with $81,604 nationally. Household income combines all earners and income sources in a home.
Does Iowa have a state income tax on wages?
Yes. Iowa taxes wage income, so state income tax is deducted from paychecks in addition to federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.