Environmental Engineers Salary
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, environmental engineers earn $94,800 at the median, or about $45.58 an hour. The range runs from $67K at the entry level to $114K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $103,381 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,318/month, or 22% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $95K actually covers in Des Moines-West Des Moines, month by month
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 environmental engineers
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What this looks like in Des Moines-West Des Moines
Pay for environmental engineers in Des Moines-West Des Moines runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $107K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,318/month, 22.6% 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. Lower pay, lower costs, Des Moines-West Des Moines can be a reasonable trade-off for environmental engineers who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for environmental engineers in metros near Des Moines-West Des Moines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $116K | $110K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $111K | $107K |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $86K | $89K |
| Kansas City | $97K | $105K |
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 environmental engineers (10th percentile) start around $67K. Mid-career wages sit at $95K. Top earners bring in $114K or more, a $48K spread from bottom to top.
Environmental Engineers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Environmental Engineers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $131K | +22% | 340 |
| California | $130K | +22% | 4,550 |
| Oregon | $127K | +19% | 650 |
| Washington | $125K | +17% | 1,920 |
| Texas | $123K | +15% | 1,940 |
| Nebraska | $121K | +13% | 270 |
| Idaho | $118K | +10% | 400 |
| Florida | $117K | +9% | 1,800 |
| Massachusetts | $116K | +8% | 1,880 |
| Minnesota | $116K | +8% | 1,080 |
| Connecticut | $115K | +7% | 450 |
| Ohio | $113K | +6% | 730 |
| Alaska | $110K | +3% | 260 |
| Nevada | $110K | +2% | 290 |
| New Mexico | $108K | +1% | 500 |
| Illinois | $108K | +1% | 940 |
| Hawaii | $108K | +1% | 150 |
| Kentucky | $108K | +0% | 350 |
| Colorado | $107K | -0% | 1,320 |
| Wyoming | $106K | -1% | 200 |
| Michigan | $105K | -2% | 810 |
| Virginia | $105K | -2% | 1,010 |
| Utah | $103K | -3% | 410 |
| Pennsylvania | $103K | -4% | 1,750 |
| Alabama | $103K | -4% | 780 |
| New Jersey | $103K | -4% | 990 |
| New York | $101K | -5% | 3,170 |
| Rhode Island | $101K | -6% | 200 |
| Montana | $100K | -7% | 300 |
| North Carolina | $99K | -7% | N/A |
| South Dakota | $99K | -8% | 90 |
| Missouri | $98K | -8% | 510 |
| Maryland | $98K | -9% | 1,030 |
| Tennessee | $97K | -9% | 540 |
| Georgia | $97K | -10% | 830 |
| South Carolina | $96K | -10% | 560 |
| Delaware | $96K | -11% | 150 |
| Iowa | $95K | -11% | 150 |
| Kansas | $94K | -12% | 320 |
| Arizona | $94K | -12% | 690 |
| Maine | $94K | -12% | 220 |
| Vermont | $93K | -14% | 110 |
| Indiana | $92K | -14% | 520 |
| Oklahoma | $92K | -14% | 530 |
| North Dakota | $91K | -15% | 90 |
| Mississippi | $91K | -15% | 260 |
| Wisconsin | $90K | -16% | 890 |
| New Hampshire | $89K | -17% | 210 |
| Arkansas | $85K | -20% | 210 |
| West Virginia | $83K | -22% | 370 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track environmental engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Des Moines-West Des Moines numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a environmental engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Yes — at the median salary of $95K, rent takes 22.6% 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 environmental engineers in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new environmental engineers typically earn — is $67K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,332/month. At HUD’s $1,318/month FMR, rent would take 30% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is environmental engineer a high-paying job in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $95K here vs. $107K 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 environmental engineers?
Des Moines-West Des Moines pays $95K median vs. the U.S. average of $107K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $103K — below the national median.
How much do environmental engineers make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $94,800 a year, that works out to about $46 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $66,780, and experienced environmental engineers can clear $114,410. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $95K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,842/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 22.6% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a environmental engineers 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 environmental engineers salary is worth about $103,381 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do environmental engineers 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.