Iowa City, IA
Across all occupations in the Iowa City, IA metropolitan area, the median wage is $50,060 a year ($24.07 an hour) and the mean $65,420, May 2025. That median is −2% against the US median of $50,980 and +3% against Iowa's $48,540. BLS counts 93,760 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is anesthesiologists; the largest is registered nurses.
All occupations: Iowa City, IA vs Iowa and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Iowa City, IA | Hourly | $13.88 | $17.52 | $24.07 | $37.13 | $52.17 | $31.45 | 93,760 |
| Annual | $28,870 | $36,440 | $50,060 | $77,220 | $108,520 | $65,420 | ||
| 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 | ||
296 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 Iowa City, IA
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anesthesiologists | $407,230 | $195.78 | 40 |
| 2 | Physicians, All Other | $257,340 | $123.72 | 470 |
| 3 | Family Medicine Physicians | $208,900 | $100.43 | 30 |
| 4 | Chief Executives | $205,340 | $98.72 | 110 |
| 5 | Dentists, General | $199,410 | $95.87 | 50 |
| 6 | Psychiatrists | $161,550 | $77.67 | 30 |
| 7 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $151,850 | $73.01 | 50 |
| 8 | Pharmacists | $142,530 | $68.53 | 450 |
| 9 | Budget Analysts | $134,850 | $64.83 | 40 |
| 10 | Physician Assistants | $134,770 | $64.79 | 230 |
| 11 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Iowa | $134,210 | $64.53 | 160 |
| 12 | Financial Managers in Iowa | $132,220 | $63.57 | 390 |
| 13 | Nurse Practitioners | $129,030 | $62.04 | 330 |
| 14 | Veterinarians | $128,180 | $61.63 | 40 |
| 15 | Public Relations Managers | $127,760 | $61.42 | 70 |
| 16 | Lawyers in Iowa | $127,210 | $61.16 | 140 |
| 17 | Sales Managers in Iowa | $126,520 | $60.83 | 100 |
| 18 | Administrative Services Managers | $120,940 | $58.14 | 70 |
| 19 | Information Security Analysts | $120,370 | $57.87 | 80 |
| 20 | Marketing Managers | $118,850 | $57.14 | 80 |
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 Iowa City, IA
Most concentrated occupations in Iowa City, 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 | Biological Technicians | 12.30 | 520 | 5.51 | $48,050 |
| 2 | Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other | 9.88 | 170 | 1.82 | $86,880 |
| 3 | Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other | 6.84 | 790 | 8.46 | $47,600 |
| 4 | Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health | 5.03 | 110 | 1.12 | $63,690 |
| 5 | Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | 4.48 | 470 | 4.96 | $81,580 |
| 6 | Pharmacy Aides | 4.38 | 100 | 1.11 | $36,370 |
| 7 | Chiropractors | 4.26 | 100 | 1.09 | $77,970 |
| 8 | Library Assistants, Clerical | 3.66 | 190 | 2.02 | $33,690 |
| 9 | Procurement Clerks | 3.65 | 120 | 1.31 | $48,870 |
| 10 | Medical Equipment Preparers | 3.32 | 150 | 1.65 | $39,170 |
Occupation groups in Iowa City, IA
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $100,670 | $115,070 | 5,620 | 59.95 | 0.84 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $86,430 | $95,090 | 2,520 | 26.87 | 0.79 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $83,050 | $96,160 | 9,890 | 105.50 | 1.67 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $82,350 | $88,980 | 920 | 9.85 | 0.59 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $75,190 | $81,520 | 5,090 | 54.25 | 0.80 |
| Legal | $67,580 | $88,210 | 550 | 5.87 | 0.70 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $66,920 | $73,080 | 2,210 | 23.60 | 2.49 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $62,100 | $99,790 | 8,820 | 94.12 | 1.61 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $58,890 | $64,020 | 1,200 | 12.78 | 0.97 |
| Construction and Extraction | $58,240 | $58,910 | 3,040 | 32.46 | 0.79 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $58,190 | $59,230 | 2,700 | 28.80 | 0.74 |
| Community and Social Service | $58,120 | $59,180 | 2,050 | 21.85 | 1.27 |
| Protective Service | $57,000 | $60,480 | 1,300 | 13.89 | 0.57 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $48,310 | $50,270 | 9,970 | 106.39 | 0.93 |
| Production | $47,520 | $49,100 | 3,900 | 41.56 | 0.75 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $46,550 | $54,310 | 6,740 | 71.94 | 0.82 |
| Healthcare Support | $38,590 | $41,060 | 4,630 | 49.36 | 0.97 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $37,660 | $39,710 | 2,770 | 29.54 | 1.01 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $36,040 | $41,840 | 130 | 1.40 | 0.50 |
| Sales and Related | $34,740 | $44,070 | 7,320 | 78.06 | 0.90 |
| Personal Care and Service | $32,690 | $37,870 | 2,310 | 24.69 | 1.18 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $30,110 | $31,590 | 10,060 | 107.29 | 1.22 |
Every occupation in Iowa, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 296 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 Iowa City, IA estimates (area 26980).
*- 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 Iowa City, 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.