Chief Executives Salary
Chief Executives in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA make a median of $290,870 a year, or about $139.84 an hour. The range runs from $97K at the entry level to $390K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $317,197 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,318/month, or 8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $291K 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 chief executives
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What this looks like in Des Moines-West Des Moines
Des Moines-West Des Moines sits well above the national pay line for chief executives, local pay runs about 36% higher than the U.S. median of $214K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,318/month, 8.2% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. 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. Combined with manageable housing costs, Des Moines-West Des Moines offers a genuinely strong financial position for chief executivess at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chief executives in metros near Des Moines-West Des Moines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids | $182K | $205K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $205K | $230K |
| Sioux City | $221K | $255K |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls | $199K | $229K |
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 chief executives (10th percentile) start around $97K. Mid-career wages sit at $291K. Top earners bring in $390K or more, a $294K spread from bottom to top.
Chief Executives pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Chief Executives salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $342K | +60% | 910 |
| Washington | $340K | +59% | 3,170 |
| Illinois | $332K | +55% | 4,620 |
| North Carolina | $314K | +47% | 1,930 |
| Virginia | $311K | +45% | 4,870 |
| New Jersey | $310K | +45% | 2,430 |
| Connecticut | $295K | +38% | 1,660 |
| Hawaii | $282K | +32% | 470 |
| South Dakota | $281K | +31% | 510 |
| New York | $258K | +21% | 8,430 |
| Texas | $258K | +20% | 8,780 |
| Michigan | $256K | +19% | 4,950 |
| Indiana | $254K | +19% | 1,820 |
| Maryland | $249K | +16% | 3,180 |
| Rhode Island | $235K | +10% | 460 |
| Pennsylvania | $233K | +9% | 8,850 |
| California | $219K | +2% | 34,700 |
| Nebraska | $215K | +0% | 2,510 |
| Colorado | $213K | -0% | N/A |
| Iowa | $211K | -1% | 3,050 |
| Wisconsin | $208K | -3% | N/A |
| Georgia | $208K | -3% | 4,080 |
| Delaware | $200K | -7% | 390 |
| Tennessee | $199K | -7% | 4,700 |
| Minnesota | $196K | -9% | 6,740 |
| Montana | $182K | -15% | 670 |
| Kentucky | $180K | -16% | 2,070 |
| Idaho | $177K | -17% | 2,920 |
| Ohio | $176K | -18% | 4,470 |
| Vermont | $175K | -18% | 360 |
| Missouri | $172K | -19% | 2,550 |
| Utah | $172K | -20% | 3,140 |
| South Carolina | $169K | -21% | 1,740 |
| New Hampshire | $169K | -21% | N/A |
| Alaska | $167K | -22% | 640 |
| Alabama | $166K | -22% | 810 |
| North Dakota | $165K | -23% | 380 |
| Oklahoma | $164K | -23% | 2,390 |
| Kansas | $158K | -26% | 1,960 |
| West Virginia | $152K | -29% | 1,700 |
| Nevada | $150K | -30% | 1,370 |
| Wyoming | $148K | -31% | 60 |
| Mississippi | $139K | -35% | 310 |
| Maine | $139K | -35% | 1,580 |
| New Mexico | $124K | -42% | 100 |
| Arkansas | $120K | -44% | 3,550 |
Showing 1–10 of 46 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track chief executives salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Des Moines-West Des Moines numbers change.
Related careers in Management
Frequently asked questions
Can a chief executif afford a 2BR apartment alone in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Yes — at the median salary of $291K, rent takes 8.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,318/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chief executives in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chief executives typically earn — is $97K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,793/month. At HUD’s $1,318/month FMR, rent would take 23% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is chief executif a high-paying job in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Local pay is 36% above the national median — $291K here vs. $214K nationally.
How does Des Moines-West Des Moines compare to the national average for chief executives?
Des Moines-West Des Moines pays $291K median vs. the U.S. average of $214K — that’s +36%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $317K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do chief executives make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $290,870 a year, that works out to about $140 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $96,550, and experienced chief executives can clear $390,260. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $291K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $16,055/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 8.2% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a chief executives 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 chief executives salary is worth about $317,197 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chief executives 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.