Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Across all occupations in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan area, the median wage is $51,820 a year ($24.91 an hour) and the mean $65,970, May 2025. That median is +2% against the US median of $50,980 and +7% against Iowa's $48,540. BLS counts 404,130 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is emergency medicine physicians; the largest is customer service representatives.
All occupations: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA vs Iowa and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | Hourly | $14.38 | $18.05 | $24.91 | $37.65 | $54.54 | $31.72 | 404,130 |
| Annual | $29,900 | $37,550 | $51,820 | $78,320 | $113,430 | $65,970 | ||
| Iowa | Hourly | $13.91 | $17.58 | $23.34 | $33.79 | $47.90 | $28.76 | 1,559,240 |
| Annual | $28,930 | $36,570 | $48,540 | $70,290 | $99,630 | $59,830 | ||
| United States | Hourly | $15.00 | $18.07 | $24.51 | $38.71 | $61.81 | $33.54 | 155,495,730 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $37,590 | $50,980 | $80,520 | $128,560 | $69,770 | ||
505 detailed occupations publish a median in this area. State profile: Iowa. Compare any occupation across every area in the wage explorer.
20 highest-paying occupations in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | $426,310 | $204.96 | 50 |
| 2 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $369,390 | $177.59 | 40 |
| 3 | Psychiatrists | $358,020 | $172.13 | 50 |
| 4 | Physicians, All Other | $309,880 | $148.98 | 460 |
| 5 | Chief Executives | $290,870 | $139.84 | 1,230 |
| 6 | Pediatricians, General | $271,190 | $130.38 | 90 |
| 7 | Family Medicine Physicians | $265,200 | $127.50 | 250 |
| 8 | Nurse Anesthetists | $237,670 | $114.26 | 80 |
| 9 | Dentists, General | $209,300 | $100.62 | 360 |
| 10 | Physicists | $178,110 | $85.63 | 50 |
| 11 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Iowa | $164,840 | $79.25 | 2,050 |
| 12 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $160,990 | * | 60 |
| 13 | Financial Managers in Iowa | $154,140 | $74.11 | 3,800 |
| 14 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | $150,850 | $72.52 | 60 |
| 15 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $148,330 | $71.31 | 360 |
| 16 | Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $147,510 | $70.92 | 90 |
| 17 | Pharmacists | $141,110 | $67.84 | 850 |
| 18 | Managers, All Other in Iowa | $139,110 | $66.88 | 1,420 |
| 19 | Human Resources Managers | $138,140 | $66.42 | 520 |
| 20 | Sales Managers in Iowa | $136,570 | $65.66 | 1,200 |
Ranked by median; an occupation whose median BLS withholds or top-codes in this area cannot appear here, however well it pays.
20 largest occupations in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Most concentrated occupations in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
The 10 occupations with the highest location quotient among those employing at least 100 people in the area. A quotient of 2.00 means the occupation's share of local jobs is twice its national share.
| Rank | Occupation | Location quotient | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soil and Plant Scientists | 10.57 | 430 | 1.07 | $132,290 |
| 2 | Tire Builders | 5.81 | 310 | 0.78 | $63,060 |
| 3 | Actuaries | 5.79 | 400 | 0.99 | $130,540 |
| 4 | Food Scientists and Technologists | 4.64 | 160 | 0.39 | $76,580 |
| 5 | Food Science Technicians | 3.61 | 140 | 0.34 | $48,820 |
| 6 | Pharmacy Aides | 3.28 | 340 | 0.83 | $35,120 |
| 7 | Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 3.11 | 260 | 0.63 | $52,980 |
| 8 | Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators | 3.05 | 840 | 2.07 | $60,530 |
| 9 | Insurance Underwriters | 2.90 | 790 | 1.96 | $79,230 |
| 10 | Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service | 2.76 | 400 | 0.98 | $35,720 |
Occupation groups in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $120,120 | $135,610 | 29,300 | 72.50 | 1.01 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $101,550 | $102,270 | 17,190 | 42.54 | 1.26 |
| Legal | $83,700 | $115,130 | 3,390 | 8.39 | 1.00 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $82,840 | $91,870 | 4,850 | 12.00 | 0.71 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $80,390 | $89,410 | 35,200 | 87.11 | 1.29 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $78,620 | $84,040 | 3,970 | 9.83 | 1.04 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $78,110 | $98,780 | 22,540 | 55.78 | 0.88 |
| Construction and Extraction | $62,090 | $65,500 | 19,550 | 48.39 | 1.17 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $60,440 | $61,910 | 15,580 | 38.55 | 0.98 |
| Protective Service | $56,390 | $62,230 | 6,620 | 16.38 | 0.67 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $55,740 | $61,390 | 5,790 | 14.33 | 1.09 |
| Community and Social Service | $51,990 | $57,890 | 6,120 | 15.15 | 0.88 |
| Production | $49,190 | $51,550 | 18,150 | 44.91 | 0.82 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $48,790 | $52,010 | 49,810 | 123.26 | 1.08 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $47,910 | $52,280 | 23,060 | 57.05 | 0.97 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $46,120 | $49,550 | 34,800 | 86.10 | 0.98 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $44,850 | $46,970 | 490 | 1.22 | 0.43 |
| Healthcare Support | $38,290 | $41,410 | 15,140 | 37.48 | 0.74 |
| Sales and Related | $37,570 | $53,290 | 38,890 | 96.23 | 1.11 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $36,350 | $39,040 | 11,150 | 27.58 | 0.94 |
| Personal Care and Service | $31,720 | $36,850 | 9,130 | 22.60 | 1.08 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $30,320 | $31,980 | 33,400 | 82.65 | 0.94 |
Every occupation in Iowa, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 505 published occupations for this area are in the wage explorer; other metros are on the metros hub.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA estimates (area 19780).
*- Wage estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Jobs per 1,000 is the occupation's employment per 1,000 jobs in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area; the location quotient is that share divided by the national share.
- The concentration table keeps only occupations with employment of 100 or more in the area, so a quotient built on a handful of rounded jobs cannot top it.