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Average Salary in Iowa
This page shows what jobs actually pay in Iowa, occupation by occupation, from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for May 2024. BLS publishes wage estimates for 692 occupations in Iowa. For context, the U.S. all-occupation mean annual wage in May 2024 was $67,920, the median wage was $23.80 an hour, and total U.S. employment covered by the survey was 154,187,380 jobs. Use the tables below to see Iowa's highest-paying occupations, its largest occupations, and which Iowa jobs pay more — or less — than the same job nationally.
Highest-paying occupations in Iowa
The highest-paying occupation BLS publishes for Iowa is surgeons, all other, with a mean annual wage of $239,200+ — 480.2% higher than the U.S. all-occupation mean of $67,920 — and a median wage of $239,200+ across 220 jobs. Compared with the same occupation nationally (mean $239,200+), Iowa pays 6.1% higher for this work. Next on the list are radiologists at a mean of $239,200+ and emergency medicine physicians at $239,200+. These top-paying fields are small: together the top three employ 710 people in Iowa, so they describe the top of the Iowa wage ladder rather than the typical worker's experience.
| Occupation | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surgeons, All Other | 220 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Radiologists | 100 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | 390 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Neurologists | 30 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | 190 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 1,250 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Orthodontists | 30 | $107.22 | $223,020 | $239,200+ |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 360 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Physicians, All Other | 1,360 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Pediatricians, General | 210 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Psychiatrists | 220 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 580 | $110.56 | $229,950 | $239,200+ |
| Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons | 110 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Dentists, General | 850 | $84.13 | $174,990 | $216,520 |
| Chief Executives | 3,520 | $85.83 | $178,530 | $211,710 |
Largest occupations in Iowa
The occupation with the most jobs in Iowa is cashiers, employing an estimated 43,160 people at a median annual wage of $28,780 and a mean of $29,440. Nationally the same occupation pays a median of $31,190, so Iowa's typical pay for this work runs 7.7% lower. The next-largest occupations are retail salespersons (37,600 jobs, median $30,030) and heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (37,430 jobs, median $55,080). Because these occupations are so large, their wages move the overall picture of Iowa pay far more than the small, highly paid fields above.
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual | Mean annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cashiers | 43,160 | $28,780 | $29,440 |
| Retail Salespersons | 37,600 | $30,030 | $34,170 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 37,430 | $55,080 | $58,350 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 37,060 | $28,400 | $28,310 |
| General and Operations Managers | 33,560 | $80,620 | $100,750 |
| Registered Nurses | 33,480 | $76,960 | $77,780 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 32,150 | $43,370 | $42,710 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 28,810 | $44,990 | $46,160 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 26,340 | $36,130 | $36,840 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 26,020 | $37,370 | $38,710 |
| Office Clerks, General | 24,280 | $42,200 | $43,330 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 23,830 | $35,250 | $36,070 |
| Nursing Assistants | 22,970 | $38,630 | $40,590 |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 22,910 | $28,500 | $28,590 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 21,440 | $26,140 | $29,710 |
Where Iowa pays a premium — and where it lags
Comparing each occupation's Iowa median with its own national median shows where Iowa's labor market is strong. Among occupations with at least 1,000 Iowa jobs, the largest premium is for crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders: a median of $60,210 in Iowa versus $46,890 nationally, 28.4% higher. The largest discount is for postsecondary teachers, all other, at $52,250 in Iowa versus $78,490 nationally, 33.4% lower. In total, 64 of the 271 occupations with 1,000 or more Iowa jobs pay a median above their national median. Separately, 218 of the 692 occupations published for Iowa have a median annual wage above the U.S. all-occupation mean of $67,920, which underlines how much of Iowa's job base sits in lower-wage service work even in a state with high-paying headline jobs.
| Occupation | Iowa median | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $60,210 | $46,890 | +28.4% |
| Parts Salespersons | $45,480 | $37,440 | +21.5% |
| Helpers--Production Workers | $46,000 | $38,220 | +20.4% |
| Food Batchmakers | $48,790 | $40,790 | +19.6% |
| Production Workers, All Other | $46,380 | $38,820 | +19.5% |
| Lawyers | $107,870 | $151,160 | -28.6% |
| Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity | $40,110 | $57,440 | -30.2% |
| Gambling Dealers | $22,900 | $33,280 | -31.2% |
| Bartenders | $22,500 | $33,530 | -32.9% |
| Postsecondary Teachers, All Other | $52,250 | $78,490 | -33.4% |
Iowa salary FAQ
What is the highest-paying job in Iowa?
By average pay, surgeons, all other is the highest-paying occupation BLS publishes for Iowa, with a mean annual wage of $239,200+ and a median of $239,200+ in May 2024.
What is the average salary in Iowa?
For context, the U.S. all-occupation mean annual wage was $67,920 in May 2024. In Iowa, the largest occupation, cashiers, paid a median of $28,780 across 43,160 jobs, and the tables on this page show mean and median pay for all 692 published occupations.
How many jobs does the largest occupation in Iowa have?
Cashiers is the largest occupation published for Iowa, with an estimated 43,160 jobs in May 2024 and a mean annual wage of $29,440.
Which occupations pay more in Iowa than in the U.S. overall?
Among occupations with at least 1,000 Iowa jobs, crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders shows the largest premium: a median of $60,210 in Iowa versus $46,890 nationally, 28.4% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Figures checked October 2026.