Broadcast Technicians Salary
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, broadcast technicians earn $47,880 at the median, or about $23.02 an hour. The range runs from $25K at the entry level to $79K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $52,214 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,318/month, about 40.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $48K 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 broadcast technicians
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What this looks like in Des Moines-West Des Moines
Pay for broadcast technicians in Des Moines-West Des Moines runs about 20% below the U.S. median of $60K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,318/month, which is 41.4% 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 broadcast technicianss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for broadcast technicians in metros near Des Moines-West Des Moines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Peoria | $40K | $44K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $96K | $93K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $58K | $55K |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $75K | $77K |
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 broadcast technicians (10th percentile) start around $25K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $79K or more, a $54K spread from bottom to top.
Broadcast Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Broadcast Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $108K | +82% | 290 |
| New Hampshire | $81K | +36% | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $80K | +35% | 950 |
| New York | $79K | +32% | 1,690 |
| Illinois | $74K | +25% | 690 |
| Colorado | $74K | +24% | 820 |
| Nevada | $73K | +23% | 280 |
| Arizona | $73K | +23% | 530 |
| California | $73K | +22% | 2,340 |
| Florida | $65K | +9% | 1,130 |
| Maryland | $64K | +7% | 460 |
| Wisconsin | $62K | +5% | 410 |
| Washington | $62K | +4% | 270 |
| Connecticut | $59K | -1% | 700 |
| Virginia | $58K | -3% | 710 |
| Maine | $55K | -7% | 90 |
| New Mexico | $50K | -16% | 80 |
| Rhode Island | $50K | -17% | 110 |
| Texas | $49K | -17% | 1,380 |
| Hawaii | $49K | -17% | 70 |
| Ohio | $49K | -18% | 430 |
| North Dakota | $48K | -19% | 80 |
| North Carolina | $48K | -20% | 580 |
| Michigan | $48K | -20% | 580 |
| Tennessee | $47K | -21% | 400 |
| Georgia | $47K | -21% | 440 |
| Alabama | $47K | -21% | 220 |
| Massachusetts | $47K | -21% | 560 |
| South Carolina | $47K | -21% | 210 |
| Iowa | $47K | -21% | 180 |
| Minnesota | $47K | -21% | 330 |
| Montana | $47K | -22% | 60 |
| Idaho | $45K | -25% | 90 |
| Oklahoma | $45K | -25% | 240 |
| Louisiana | $44K | -25% | 120 |
| Oregon | $44K | -25% | 220 |
| Indiana | $44K | -25% | 760 |
| Nebraska | $44K | -27% | 160 |
| Arkansas | $42K | -30% | 220 |
| Missouri | $42K | -30% | 300 |
| Kansas | $42K | -30% | 90 |
| Kentucky | $40K | -32% | 230 |
| Wyoming | $39K | -34% | 50 |
| South Dakota | $32K | -46% | 40 |
| Utah | $31K | -47% | 300 |
| Mississippi | $28K | -53% | 60 |
| West Virginia | $27K | -54% | 120 |
Showing 1–10 of 47 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track broadcast 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 broadcast technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 41.4% 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 broadcast technicians in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new broadcast technicians typically earn — is $25K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,498/month. At HUD’s $1,318/month FMR, rent would take 88% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is broadcast technician a high-paying job in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Local pay runs 20% below the national median — $48K here vs. $60K 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 broadcast technicians?
Des Moines-West Des Moines pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s -20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — below the national median.
How much do broadcast technicians make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $47,880 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $24,960, and experienced broadcast technicians can clear $79,330. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,184/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 41.4% 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 broadcast 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 broadcast technicians salary is worth about $52,214 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do broadcast 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.