What is the average salary in Iowa?

1 min read by Charlie Barton Last updated October 4, 2024

Learn about the average salaries and highest paying counties in Iowa

Iowa, known as the "Hawkeye State," offers a lower cost of living compared to states like California, which can make it an attractive place to live and work. (Check out the cost of living in Iowa here). While salaries in Iowa may not match those of other states, it’s worth noting that they can vary depending on factors such as location and occupation. 

Summary

  • The median household income in Iowa is $64,499.

  • Householders aged 45 to 64 years old have a median income of $78,246.

  • Iowa City has an average household income of more than $70,000, while Sioux City’s average is $20,000 below that.  

  • Speak to a financial advisor about getting and staying on top of your finances.

What is the average household income Iowa?

The median household income in Iowa is $64,499. However, defining a 'good' salary in Iowa can vary depending on factors such as cost of living, location, and personal financial goals. For example, earning $90,000 a year may be considered a good salary for some Iowans, while for others, a salary of $50,000 may be sufficient. 

What is the average salary in Iowa by age? 

Alongside location and occupation, salaries in Iowa are also dependent on age, since more senior workers will be paid more. Then, when they retire, their income will dip again as they will rely on pensions and other forms of set income. You can also check out the complete guide to retirement in Iowa here. 

The Census Bureau data finds that the median household income in Iowa for householders under 25 years old is $45,518; householders aged 25 to 44 years old have a median income of $71,578; those aged 45 to 64 years old have a median income of $78,246; and those 65 and older have a median income of $51,582. 

Staying in control of your finances and maintaining a solid financial plan is essential. By answering a few simple questions, Unbiased can connect you to a financial advisor perfectly suited to meet your needs. Get started here.

What is the average salary in Iowa by hour? 

If Americans work an average of 1,801 hours per year — at 37.5 hours a week — then the average hourly salary in Iowa is $24.38.  

What is the average salary in Iowa by city?

City living is often more expensive than living in more rural areas, but it’s also where the money is. Despite a relatively low number of highly populated cities, there are still variations in Iowa’s own cities; Iowa City has an average household income of more than $70,000, while Sioux City’s average is $20,000 below that.  

Average earnings by city — or any other geographical metric — is just one way of calculating wealth, and certainly shouldn’t be the only way you look at your own earning potential in a given place. It doesn’t take into account the type of jobs that people do to earn above or below this average bracket, and omits any consideration for the number of people living in a household. However, it’s certainly one way of establishing which place offers good earning opportunities.  

The US Census Bureau’s latest American Community Survey has calculated the average earnings for the largest cities in Iowa, which you can find ranked below.)

CityAverage household income
Iowa City $71,158
Cedar Rapids $65,674
Des Moines $63,134
Davenport $54,371
Sioux City $51,316

What is the average salary in Iowa by county? 

Reviewing average salaries in Iowa by city is not necessarily an adequate metric for average salaries across the state, since it’s entirely urban focused. A good idea is to weigh these figures up against the average salary in Iowa by county, as this will take areas outside the main cities into account and offer a broader idea of salary ranges.  

The same survey from the US Census Bureau gives further insight this way, with the average household income calculated for each county.

CountyIncome
Adair County $62,221
Adams County $53,068
Allamakee County $55,252
Appanoose County $48,593
Audubon County $55,169
Benton County $68,703
Black Hawk County $57,187
Boone County $68,141
Bremer County $75,944
Buchanan County $61,997
Buena Vista County $55,470
Butler County $73,273
Calhoun County $58,532
Carroll County $64,165
Cass County $55,957
Cedar County $72,216
Cerro Gordo County $57,967
Cherokee County $60,134
Chickasaw County $64,767
Clarke County $50,992
Clay County $61,109
Clayton County $57,557
Clinton County $65,000
Crawford County $55,714
Dallas County $96,395
Davis County $46,294
Decatur County $49,113
Delaware County $67,022
Des Moines County $54,306
Dickinson County $64,745
Dubuque County $68,090
Emmet County $63,118
Fayette County $60,716
Floyd County $60,058
Franklin County $61,462
Fremont County $58,182
Greene County $63,049
Grundy County $74,643
Guthrie County $62,789
Hamilton County $63,101
Hancock County $60,658
Hardin County $66,963
Harrison County $61,078
Henry County $59,063
Howard County $63,191
Humboldt County $62,692
Ida County $57,805
Iowa County $72,765
Jackson County $60,292
Jasper County $62,688
Jefferson County $56,507
Johnson County $85,334
Jones County $62,623
Keokuk County $54,849
Kossuth County $59,998
Lee County $52,458
Linn County $66,515
Louisa County $62,540
Lucas County $54,684
Lyon County $63,899
Madison County $67,277
Mahaska County $61,246
Marion County $62,660
Marshall County $61,745
Mills County $77,390
Mitchell County $63,032
Monona County $59,219
Monroe County $52,849
Montgomery County $57,633
Muscatine County $61,547
O'Brien County $62,292
Osceola County $65,242
Page County $52,108
Palo Alto County $59,988
Plymouth County $74,239
Pocahontas County $56,350
Polk County $73,015
Pottawattamie County $63,840
Poweshiek County $56,080
Ringgold County $57,700
Sac County $61,040
Scott County $67,675
Shelby County $62,222
Sioux County $78,179
Story County $62,578
Tama County $59,794
Taylor County $59,528
Union County $52,231
Van Buren County $53,218
Wapello County $51,222
Warren County $85,189
Washington County $66,908
Wayne County $53,039
Webster County $56,934
Winnebago County $56,578
Winneshiek County $65,330
Woodbury County $63,061
Worth County $63,795
Wright County $55,395

What are the highest paying jobs in Iowa?

There’s another weighty factor that will influence how much you earn if you live in Iowa: your job type. Average salaries for various sectors and job roles can vary massively across the state, so it’s absolutely something to consider when looking at salaries by location.  

SoFi Learn has calculated a comprehensive list of annual salaries by occupation area, which you can also find below.

OccupationAnnual mean wage
Management $138,148
Business & Financial Operations $84,198
Computer & Mathematical $119,872
Architecture & Engineering $105,770
Life, Physical, & Social Science $91,100
Community & Social Service $58,272
Legal $117,935
Education, Training, & Library $64,168
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, & Media $69,625
Healthcare Practitioners & Technical $105,245
Healthcare Support $33,159
Protective Service $52,280
Food Preparation & Serving Related $31,993
Building & Grounds Cleaning & Maintenance $37,461
Personal Care & Service $34,047
Sales & Related $38,049
Office & Administrative Support $46,994
Farming, Fishing, & Forestry $31,169
Construction & Extraction $62,681
Installation, Maintenance, & Repair $58,497
Production $40,168
Transportation & Material Moving $37,578

The bottom line

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Writer

Charlie Barton

Charlie Barton is a writer at Unbiased. He has been writing about personal finance and investing since 2017, with extensive knowledge of platforms and products. Charlie has a first-class degree from the London School of Economics.