Engineers, All Other Salary
In Iowa, engineers, all others earn $103,090 at the median, or about $49.56 an hour. The range runs from $66K at the entry level to $130K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.86), which stretches that salary to about $116,014 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,064/month, or 16.3% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Iowa. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $103K get you in Iowa?
About engineers, all others
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What this looks like in Iowa
Pay for engineers, all other in Iowa runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $123K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,064/month, 16.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.86 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Iowa can be a reasonable trade-off for engineers, all others who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Iowa
Entry-level engineers, all others (10th percentile) start around $66K. Mid-career wages sit at $103K. Top earners bring in $130K or more, a $64K spread from bottom to top.
Engineers, All Other salary by metro in Iowa
6 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids | $111K | +8% | 50 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $104K | +1% | 410 |
| Iowa City | $103K | -0% | 30 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $101K | -2% | 260 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls | $96K | -6% | 40 |
| Ames | $95K | -8% | 50 |
Compare to other states
Track engineers, all other salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Iowa numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a engineers, all other afford a 2BR apartment alone in Iowa?
Yes — at the median salary of $103K, rent takes 16.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,064/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for engineers, all others in Iowa?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new engineers, all others typically earn — is $66K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,935/month. At HUD’s $1,064/month FMR, rent would take 27% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is engineers, all other a high-paying job in Iowa?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $103K here vs. $123K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Iowa compare to the national average for engineers, all others?
Iowa pays $103K median vs. the U.S. average of $123K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $116K — below the national median.
How much do engineers, all others make in Iowa?
The median is $103,090 a year, that works out to about $50 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $65,580, and experienced engineers, all others can clear $129,760. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $103K enough to live in Iowa?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,288/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,064/month, which eats 16.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a engineers, all other salary go in Iowa?
Iowa has a Regional Price Parity of 88.86 (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 engineers, all other salary is worth about $116,014 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do engineers, all others 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.