Driver/Sales Workers Salary
The median pay for a driver/sales workers in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is $46,330/year ($22.27/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $23K at the entry level to $66K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $50,523 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,318/month, about 41.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $46K 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 driver/sales workers
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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 driver/sales workers, local pay runs about 19% higher than the U.S. median of $39K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,318/month, which is 42.7% 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. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for driver/sales workers in metros near Des Moines-West Des Moines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $47K | $53K |
| Cedar Rapids | $45K | $50K |
| Sioux City | $38K | $44K |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls | $45K | $52K |
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 driver/sales workers (10th percentile) start around $23K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $66K or more, a $43K spread from bottom to top.
Driver/Sales Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Driver/Sales Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $48K | +25% | 1,270 |
| Iowa | $47K | +22% | 4,400 |
| Massachusetts | $47K | +21% | 3,830 |
| Vermont | $46K | +19% | 510 |
| California | $46K | +18% | 34,480 |
| South Dakota | $45K | +16% | 1,050 |
| New Jersey | $45K | +15% | 9,720 |
| Colorado | $43K | +12% | 10,790 |
| Kansas | $43K | +11% | 1,950 |
| New York | $43K | +10% | 18,990 |
| Tennessee | $42K | +9% | 9,620 |
| District of Columbia | $42K | +7% | 1,020 |
| Washington | $42K | +7% | 5,890 |
| New Hampshire | $42K | +7% | 1,990 |
| Oregon | $41K | +6% | 5,210 |
| Missouri | $40K | +4% | 7,590 |
| Georgia | $40K | +3% | 19,150 |
| Maine | $40K | +3% | 2,160 |
| Arkansas | $40K | +3% | 3,170 |
| Michigan | $40K | +2% | 15,490 |
| Alabama | $39K | +1% | 4,310 |
| Illinois | $39K | +0% | 13,680 |
| North Dakota | $39K | -0% | 1,740 |
| Maryland | $39K | -1% | 11,940 |
| Arizona | $38K | -1% | 10,550 |
| Pennsylvania | $37K | -4% | 15,100 |
| Virginia | $37K | -4% | 10,780 |
| Kentucky | $37K | -4% | 6,140 |
| Connecticut | $37K | -5% | 3,730 |
| North Carolina | $37K | -6% | 14,530 |
| Louisiana | $36K | -6% | 3,200 |
| Florida | $36K | -6% | 24,380 |
| Indiana | $36K | -6% | 12,040 |
| Texas | $36K | -8% | 40,950 |
| Idaho | $36K | -8% | 2,090 |
| Ohio | $36K | -8% | 20,430 |
| Mississippi | $35K | -8% | 2,550 |
| Nebraska | $35K | -10% | 2,590 |
| Rhode Island | $34K | -12% | 1,260 |
| Minnesota | $33K | -15% | 9,750 |
| Nevada | $32K | -18% | 4,310 |
| Hawaii | $31K | -19% | 920 |
| Delaware | $31K | -20% | N/A |
| New Mexico | $30K | -23% | 2,970 |
| Oklahoma | $29K | -25% | 5,110 |
| West Virginia | $29K | -26% | 2,540 |
| Montana | $28K | -29% | 2,100 |
| Wisconsin | $28K | -29% | 10,020 |
| Wyoming | $27K | -31% | 1,140 |
| Utah | $27K | -31% | 3,050 |
| South Carolina | $22K | -43% | 6,430 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track driver/sales workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Des Moines-West Des Moines numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a driver/sales worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 42.7% 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 $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for driver/sales workers in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new driver/sales workers typically earn — is $23K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,360/month. At HUD’s $1,318/month FMR, rent would take 97% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is driver/sales worker a high-paying job in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Local pay is 19% above the national median — $46K here vs. $39K nationally.
How does Des Moines-West Des Moines compare to the national average for driver/sales workers?
Des Moines-West Des Moines pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $39K — that’s +19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do driver/sales workers make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $46,330 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $22,670, and experienced driver/sales workers can clear $65,900. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,087/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 42.7% 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 driver/sales workers 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 driver/sales workers salary is worth about $50,523 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do driver/sales workers 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.