Dubuque, IA
Across all occupations in the Dubuque, IA metropolitan area, the median wage is $48,750 a year ($23.44 an hour) and the mean $60,370, May 2025. That median is −4% against the US median of $50,980 and 0% against Iowa's $48,540. BLS counts 58,470 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is physicians, all other; the largest is customer service representatives.
All occupations: Dubuque, IA vs Iowa and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Dubuque, IA | Hourly | $14.09 | $17.77 | $23.44 | $34.51 | $49.52 | $29.02 | 58,470 |
| Annual | $29,300 | $36,950 | $48,750 | $71,780 | $103,000 | $60,370 | ||
| 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 | ||
249 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 Dubuque, IA
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physicians, All Other | $309,930 | $149.01 | 40 |
| 2 | Chief Executives | $212,880 | $102.35 | 100 |
| 3 | Dentists, General | $161,140 | $77.47 | 60 |
| 4 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $149,300 | $71.78 | 230 |
| 5 | Pharmacists | $145,390 | $69.90 | 140 |
| 6 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Iowa | $136,670 | $65.71 | 120 |
| 7 | Sales Managers in Iowa | $130,980 | $62.97 | 160 |
| 8 | Human Resources Managers | $129,670 | $62.34 | 70 |
| 9 | Nurse Practitioners | $129,620 | $62.32 | 130 |
| 10 | Marketing Managers | $127,280 | $61.19 | 90 |
| 11 | Financial Managers in Iowa | $126,980 | $61.05 | 390 |
| 12 | Physician Assistants | $126,050 | $60.60 | 40 |
| 13 | Administrative Services Managers | $119,770 | $57.58 | 70 |
| 14 | Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $116,010 | $55.78 | 90 |
| 15 | First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $113,920 | $54.77 | 60 |
| 16 | Lawyers in Iowa | $109,270 | $52.54 | 100 |
| 17 | Industrial Engineers | $109,040 | $52.43 | 230 |
| 18 | Software Developers in Iowa | $105,360 | $50.65 | 330 |
| 19 | Managers, All Other in Iowa | $104,900 | $50.43 | 150 |
| 20 | Project Management Specialists in Iowa | $104,690 | $50.33 | 290 |
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 Dubuque, IA
Most concentrated occupations in Dubuque, 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 | Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 6.09 | 290 | 4.88 | $49,180 |
| 2 | Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators | 4.10 | 260 | 4.47 | $52,110 |
| 3 | Logisticians | 3.60 | 340 | 5.81 | $93,480 |
| 4 | Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks | 3.02 | 240 | 4.16 | $46,040 |
| 5 | Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 2.94 | 180 | 3.00 | $46,770 |
| 6 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | 2.76 | 230 | 3.91 | $149,300 |
| 7 | Butchers and Meat Cutters | 2.19 | 110 | 1.93 | $36,520 |
| 8 | Food Batchmakers | 2.18 | 140 | 2.44 | $49,130 |
| 9 | Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | 2.14 | 330 | 5.73 | $56,100 |
| 10 | Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 2.10 | 130 | 2.31 | $49,740 |
Occupation groups in Dubuque, IA
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $103,210 | $120,160 | 3,910 | 66.82 | 0.93 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $103,090 | $102,410 | 2,040 | 34.86 | 2.07 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $85,170 | $92,230 | 1,220 | 20.92 | 0.62 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $76,120 | $92,020 | 3,360 | 57.54 | 0.91 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $75,060 | $82,540 | 3,820 | 65.31 | 0.96 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $70,240 | $75,570 | 250 | 4.25 | 0.45 |
| Legal | $68,560 | $93,410 | 210 | 3.63 | 0.43 |
| Construction and Extraction | $59,970 | $61,580 | 2,150 | 36.79 | 0.89 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $59,300 | $59,840 | 2,390 | 40.88 | 1.04 |
| Protective Service | $55,280 | $59,390 | 650 | 11.20 | 0.46 |
| Production | $50,640 | $52,820 | 4,950 | 84.64 | 1.54 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $50,280 | $56,840 | 860 | 14.63 | 1.11 |
| Community and Social Service | $50,230 | $54,630 | 710 | 12.07 | 0.70 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $47,930 | $51,870 | 3,460 | 59.23 | 1.01 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $46,890 | $49,800 | 80 | 1.33 | 0.48 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $46,330 | $48,900 | 7,060 | 120.73 | 1.06 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $45,480 | $48,090 | 5,530 | 94.52 | 1.07 |
| Healthcare Support | $39,690 | $41,630 | 2,660 | 45.44 | 0.89 |
| Sales and Related | $36,180 | $47,060 | 5,190 | 88.69 | 1.03 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $35,940 | $38,570 | 1,440 | 24.61 | 0.84 |
| Personal Care and Service | $31,730 | $34,050 | 1,340 | 22.86 | 1.09 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $30,090 | $31,150 | 5,210 | 89.08 | 1.01 |
Every occupation in Iowa, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 249 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 Dubuque, IA estimates (area 20220).
*- 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 Dubuque, 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.