Retail Salespersons Salary in Iowa
Retail Salespersons in Iowa have a median of $31,360 a year, below the national $35,410 (−11%); the state ranks 39th of 51 states by median. That is 35% less than the median across all occupations in Iowa ($48,540). Every neighbouring state pays more: Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Missouri and Nebraska range from $31,870 in Nebraska to $36,370 in Minnesota. Iowa employs 41,000 retail salespersons, 26.3 per 1,000 jobs, the 32nd largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.05 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 | $12.12 | $13.74 | $15.08 | $17.42 | $22.07 | $16.58 | 41,000 | 26.29 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $25,220 | $28,580 | $31,360 | $36,240 | $45,900 | $34,480 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.08 | $14.38 | $17.03 | $18.59 | $23.02 | $17.94 | 3,897,860 | – | – |
| Annual | $27,210 | $29,900 | $35,410 | $38,670 | $47,890 | $37,310 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 39th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 32nd of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.05
- Jobs per 1,000
- 26.29
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 retail salespersons, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $16.07 | $33,430 | $24,550 | $45,920 | 3,410 | 24.49 | 0.98 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $16.07 | $33,430 | $27,630 | $46,780 | 11,000 | 27.22 | 1.09 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | $15.99 | $33,260 | $28,280 | $46,490 | 12,080 | 24.26 | 0.97 |
| Ames, IA | $15.60 | $32,460 | $26,450 | $46,130 | 1,460 | 26.16 | 1.04 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $15.40 | $32,030 | $28,000 | $46,280 | 4,760 | 26.40 | 1.05 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $15.04 | $31,270 | $26,380 | $45,890 | 2,460 | 29.18 | 1.16 |
| Dubuque, IA | $14.88 | $30,960 | $25,750 | $45,320 | 1,810 | 30.88 | 1.23 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $14.50 | $30,150 | $24,180 | $45,770 | 2,220 | 29.55 | 1.18 |
| Iowa City, IA | $14.39 | $29,940 | $22,070 | $43,050 | 2,710 | 28.88 | 1.15 |
| Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $14.70 | $30,570 | $24,130 | $43,790 | 4,690 | 23.41 | 0.93 |
| Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $14.44 | $30,020 | $23,830 | $44,170 | 2,500 | 25.13 | 1.00 |
| Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $14.42 | $29,990 | $23,620 | $45,840 | 3,060 | 20.95 | 0.84 |
| Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $14.39 | $29,920 | $23,890 | $46,020 | 1,370 | 18.71 | 0.75 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Retail Salespersons (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.