Average Salaries in Iowa City, IA
Explore salaries across 307 occupations in Iowa City, IA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $61.7K, +0.3% 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 2024 estimates. Coverage: 307 occupations and 82,760 total jobs in Iowa City, IA.
How the metro compares
Wages in Iowa City, IA track close to the national average. Pay for most occupations here is similar to what workers earn nationally.
Iowa City, IA is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Chief Executives. 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 Iowa City, 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.
Top wages
Highest-paid occupations in Iowa City, IA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $176.9K | 160 |
| Dentists, General | $172.6K | 40 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $139.8K | 60 |
| Physician Assistants | $138.4K | 340 |
| Pharmacists | $137.5K | 410 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $135.6K | 140 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $130.1K | 290 |
| Education Administrators, All Other | $129.6K | 40 |
| Financial Managers | $128.7K | 370 |
| Sales Managers | $125.1K | 110 |
Most jobs
Largest occupations in Iowa City, IA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 4,050 | $82.9K |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,460 | $29.1K |
| Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 2,450 | $59.6K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 2,380 | $28.6K |
| Cashiers | 2,130 | $29.2K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 1,700 | $28.5K |
| General And Operations Managers | 1,650 | $75.9K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 1,630 | $34.9K |
| Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,560 | $36.3K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 1,420 | $36.5K |
What Iowa City, 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 Iowa City, IA than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Location quotient
Most concentrated occupations in Iowa City, IA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare Diagnosing Or Treating Practitioners, All Other | 11.17 | $85.9K |
| Biological Technicians | 11.13 | $51.3K |
| Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | 9.62 | $85.0K |
| Agricultural Technicians | 8.50 | $54.3K |
| Bicycle Repairers | 5.75 | $36.1K |
| Molding, Coremaking, And Casting Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic | 4.45 | $43.7K |
| Office And Administrative Support Workers, All Other | 4.40 | $40.4K |
| Recreational Therapists | 4.37 | $52.0K |
| Education Administrators, Postsecondary | 3.87 | $110.0K |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics And Service Technicians | 3.84 | $59.0K |
Peer markets
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $90.4K | Training And Development Managers |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $89.2K | Natural Sciences Managers |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $81.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $80.1K | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $78.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| Vallejo, CA | $77.4K | Lawyers |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $77.2K | Podiatrists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $77.1K | Neurologists |
Common salary questions for Iowa City, 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.