Highway Maintenance Workers Salary
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, highway maintenance workers earn $60,900 at the median, or about $29.28 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $66,412 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,318/month, about 32.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $61K 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 highway maintenance 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 highway maintenance workers, local pay runs about 21% higher than the U.S. median of $50K. Rent runs $1,318/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for highway maintenance workers in metros near Des Moines-West Des Moines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $55K | $62K |
| Cedar Rapids | $58K | $66K |
| Sioux City | $58K | $67K |
| Iowa City | $60K | $66K |
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 highway maintenance workers (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $26K spread from bottom to top.
Highway Maintenance Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Highway Maintenance Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $65K | +30% | 1,650 |
| Washington | $65K | +30% | 2,590 |
| Connecticut | $65K | +29% | 2,130 |
| Minnesota | $63K | +26% | 4,610 |
| Illinois | $62K | +23% | 10,790 |
| Massachusetts | $62K | +22% | 2,000 |
| Montana | $61K | +21% | 1,140 |
| North Dakota | $61K | +21% | 1,240 |
| California | $60K | +19% | 8,150 |
| Iowa | $58K | +16% | 4,000 |
| Vermont | $58K | +16% | 1,170 |
| Wisconsin | $58K | +15% | 6,000 |
| Rhode Island | $58K | +15% | 620 |
| Utah | $56K | +11% | 1,240 |
| New York | $55K | +10% | 13,820 |
| Alaska | $54K | +8% | 50 |
| Michigan | $54K | +7% | 5,230 |
| Colorado | $52K | +4% | 1,990 |
| Idaho | $52K | +4% | 1,340 |
| New Jersey | $52K | +3% | 4,850 |
| New Hampshire | $51K | +2% | 1,230 |
| Arizona | $51K | +1% | 1,410 |
| Virginia | $51K | +1% | 3,400 |
| Nevada | $49K | -2% | 990 |
| Maryland | $49K | -2% | 620 |
| Maine | $49K | -2% | 1,620 |
| Ohio | $49K | -3% | 6,070 |
| Nebraska | $49K | -3% | 2,580 |
| South Dakota | $49K | -3% | 1,800 |
| Indiana | $48K | -4% | 4,380 |
| Wyoming | $48K | -4% | 820 |
| South Carolina | $48K | -4% | 2,290 |
| North Carolina | $48K | -5% | 3,750 |
| New Mexico | $48K | -5% | 1,470 |
| Pennsylvania | $48K | -5% | 11,140 |
| Missouri | $47K | -6% | 5,470 |
| Tennessee | $46K | -8% | 2,280 |
| Kansas | $46K | -8% | 1,960 |
| Texas | $46K | -9% | 6,630 |
| Delaware | $45K | -10% | 90 |
| West Virginia | $45K | -10% | 730 |
| Louisiana | $45K | -11% | 1,050 |
| Florida | $42K | -16% | 2,530 |
| Kentucky | $40K | -20% | 3,030 |
| Oklahoma | $39K | -23% | 3,180 |
| Georgia | $38K | -25% | 1,980 |
| Alabama | $37K | -26% | 2,730 |
| Arkansas | $36K | -29% | 860 |
| Mississippi | $35K | -30% | 4,160 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track highway maintenance workers 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 highway maintenance worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 33% 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 $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for highway maintenance workers in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new highway maintenance workers typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,004/month. At HUD’s $1,318/month FMR, rent would take 44% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is highway maintenance worker a high-paying job in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Local pay is 21% above the national median — $61K here vs. $50K nationally.
How does Des Moines-West Des Moines compare to the national average for highway maintenance workers?
Des Moines-West Des Moines pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s +21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $66K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do highway maintenance workers make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $60,900 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $50,060, and experienced highway maintenance workers can clear $75,990. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,994/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 33% 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 highway maintenance 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 highway maintenance workers salary is worth about $66,412 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do highway maintenance 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.