Average Salaries in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Explore salaries across 513 occupations in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $69.9K, +6.3% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 513 occupations and 394,920 total jobs in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
How the metro compares
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA pays modestly above the national average. Most occupations here earn more than their national equivalents, but the gap is smaller than in top-tier markets.
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is a mid-sized metro labor market.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Emergency Medicine Physicians. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $426.3K | 50 |
| Obstetricians And Gynecologists | $369.4K | 40 |
| Psychiatrists | $358K | 50 |
| Physicians, All Other | $309.9K | 460 |
| Chief Executives | $290.9K | 1,230 |
| Pediatricians, General | $271.2K | 90 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $265.2K | 250 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $237.7K | 80 |
| Dentists, General | $209.3K | 360 |
| Physicists | $178.1K | 50 |
Largest occupations in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Customer Service Representatives | 12,070 | $48.9K |
| Retail Salespersons | 11,000 | $33.4K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 10,060 | $29.1K |
| Cashiers | 8,720 | $29.6K |
| General And Operations Managers | 8,370 | $98.8K |
| Registered Nurses | 8,130 | $78.6K |
| Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 7,840 | $60.7K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 7,430 | $36.8K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 7,000 | $46.4K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 6,250 | $20.4K |
What Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Soil And Plant Scientists | 10.57 | $132.3K |
| Tire Builders | 5.81 | $63.1K |
| Actuaries | 5.79 | $130.5K |
| Statistical Assistants | 5.51 | N/A |
| Food Scientists And Technologists | 4.64 | $76.6K |
| Farm And Home Management Educators | 4.38 | $43.7K |
| Food Science Technicians | 3.61 | $48.8K |
| Pharmacy Aides | 3.28 | $35.1K |
| Welding, Soldering, And Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 3.11 | $53K |
| Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, And Processing Machine Operators | 3.05 | $60.5K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.