Audio and Video Technicians Salary
The median pay for a audio and video technicians in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is $51,030/year ($24.53/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $80K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $55,649 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,318/month, about 39.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $51K get you in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Des Moines-West Des Moines’s Regional Price Parity (91.7). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About audio and video technicians
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What this looks like in Des Moines-West Des Moines
Pay for audio and video technicians in Des Moines-West Des Moines runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $58K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,318/month, which is 39% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.7 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for audio and video technicianss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for audio and video technicians in metros near Des Moines-West Des Moines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $49K | $55K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $64K | $62K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $57K | $54K |
| St. Louis | $52K | $55K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Entry-level audio and video technicians (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $80K or more, a $44K spread from bottom to top.
Audio and Video Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Audio and Video Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $79K | +36% | 830 |
| New Jersey | $71K | +22% | 2,280 |
| Maryland | $70K | +21% | 1,770 |
| Washington | $69K | +19% | 1,360 |
| New York | $68K | +16% | 7,990 |
| California | $65K | +11% | 9,280 |
| Rhode Island | $64K | +10% | 150 |
| Nevada | $63K | +8% | 1,580 |
| Connecticut | $62K | +7% | 820 |
| Alaska | $62K | +7% | 70 |
| Illinois | $61K | +5% | 3,020 |
| Hawaii | $60K | +4% | 430 |
| Delaware | $60K | +3% | 130 |
| Michigan | $58K | +0% | 1,700 |
| Pennsylvania | $57K | -2% | 3,080 |
| Colorado | $57K | -2% | 830 |
| New Hampshire | $56K | -3% | 170 |
| Florida | $54K | -7% | 6,000 |
| Virginia | $54K | -7% | 1,900 |
| Minnesota | $54K | -7% | 960 |
| Oregon | $52K | -10% | 630 |
| South Carolina | $52K | -10% | 440 |
| Vermont | $52K | -11% | 170 |
| Wisconsin | $51K | -12% | 760 |
| Georgia | $51K | -12% | 1,630 |
| Iowa | $51K | -12% | 290 |
| Missouri | $51K | -13% | 1,370 |
| Nebraska | $51K | -13% | 290 |
| Alabama | $50K | -14% | 320 |
| North Dakota | $50K | -14% | 100 |
| Kansas | $50K | -14% | 220 |
| Tennessee | $50K | -14% | 1,640 |
| Idaho | $50K | -14% | 210 |
| Ohio | $50K | -14% | 1,430 |
| Indiana | $50K | -14% | 1,390 |
| Wyoming | $50K | -14% | 50 |
| Texas | $49K | -15% | 4,280 |
| Oklahoma | $49K | -16% | 540 |
| Utah | $49K | -16% | 1,880 |
| Kentucky | $48K | -17% | 600 |
| Arizona | $47K | -19% | 1,340 |
| New Mexico | $47K | -19% | 420 |
| Montana | $47K | -20% | 140 |
| North Carolina | $47K | -20% | 1,870 |
| West Virginia | $47K | -20% | 200 |
| Maine | $46K | -21% | 150 |
| Louisiana | $44K | -23% | 860 |
| Arkansas | $44K | -24% | 150 |
| Mississippi | $44K | -25% | 200 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track audio and video technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Des Moines-West Des Moines numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a audio and video technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 39% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,318/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for audio and video technicians in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new audio and video technicians typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,174/month. At HUD’s $1,318/month FMR, rent would take 61% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is audio and video technician a high-paying job in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $51K here vs. $58K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Des Moines-West Des Moines compare to the national average for audio and video technicians?
Des Moines-West Des Moines pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $58K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $56K — below the national median.
How much do audio and video technicians make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $51,030 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,230, and experienced audio and video technicians can clear $79,990. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,380/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 39% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a audio and video technicians salary go in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Des Moines-West Des Moines has a Regional Price Parity of 91.7 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median audio and video technicians salary is worth about $55,649 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do audio and video technicians get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.