Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary in Iowa
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in Iowa have a median of $40,980 a year, below the national $45,930 (−11%); the state ranks 42nd of 51 states by median. That is 16% less than the median across all occupations in Iowa ($48,540). Every neighbouring state pays more: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Nebraska, South Dakota and Missouri range from $43,980 in Missouri to $50,030 in Minnesota. Iowa employs 10,560 medical secretaries and administrative assistants, 6.77 per 1,000 jobs, the 26th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.10 is close to the national share.
Iowa vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Iowa | Hourly | $16.94 | $18.06 | $19.70 | $22.59 | $24.10 | $20.57 | 10,560 | 6.77 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $35,240 | $37,560 | $40,980 | $46,980 | $50,130 | $42,790 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $17.27 | $18.54 | $22.08 | $24.32 | $29.10 | $22.50 | 961,610 | – | – |
| Annual | $35,930 | $38,570 | $45,930 | $50,580 | $60,530 | $46,800 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 42nd of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 26th of 50 states
- Location quotient
- 1.10
- Jobs per 1,000
- 6.77
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Iowa's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Iowa
9 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Iowa publish a row for medical secretaries and administrative assistants, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa City, IA | $24.10 | $50,130 | $39,000 | $63,190 | 1,290 | 13.75 | 2.22 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | $22.28 | $46,340 | $38,760 | $57,070 | 2,120 | 4.26 | 0.69 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $20.27 | $42,160 | $36,550 | $49,140 | 2,350 | 5.81 | 0.94 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $20.14 | $41,890 | $36,170 | $48,720 | 400 | 5.34 | 0.86 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $19.55 | $40,660 | $35,360 | $48,410 | 620 | 7.30 | 1.18 |
| Ames, IA | $19.33 | $40,210 | $34,530 | $49,030 | 420 | 7.43 | 1.20 |
| Dubuque, IA | $18.91 | $39,340 | $34,740 | $48,240 | 410 | 7.01 | 1.13 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $18.88 | $39,270 | $34,580 | $49,000 | 1,150 | 6.37 | 1.03 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $18.67 | $38,830 | $35,660 | $48,080 | 920 | 6.59 | 1.07 |
| Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $18.97 | $39,460 | $34,360 | $48,390 | 640 | 6.46 | 1.05 |
| Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $18.89 | $39,300 | $34,320 | $49,880 | 840 | 5.75 | 0.93 |
| Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $18.89 | $39,290 | $33,870 | $48,290 | 470 | 6.48 | 1.05 |
| Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $18.41 | $38,290 | $33,550 | $47,210 | 1,190 | 5.94 | 0.96 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants (every state ranked) and the Iowa wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Iowa estimates.
- 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.