Nurse Practitioners Salary
In Iowa, nurse practitioners earn $130,160 at the median, or about $62.58 an hour. The range runs from $108K at the entry level to $168K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.86), which stretches that salary to about $146,478 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,064/month, or 13.5% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Iowa. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $130K actually covers in Iowa, month by month
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What this looks like in Iowa
Nurse practitioners pay in Iowa tracks closely to the national median, $130K locally vs. $132K nationwide, a 2% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,064/month, 13.8% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Iowa
Entry-level nurse practitioners (10th percentile) start around $108K. Mid-career wages sit at $130K. Top earners bring in $168K or more, a $60K spread from bottom to top.
Nurse Practitioners salary by metro in Iowa
8 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $132K | +2% | 820 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $130K | +0% | 390 |
| Cedar Rapids | $130K | -0% | 240 |
| Dubuque | $130K | -0% | 130 |
| Sioux City | $129K | -1% | 150 |
| Iowa City | $129K | -1% | 330 |
| Ames | $128K | -2% | 70 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls | $126K | -3% | 260 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Iowa numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a nurse practitioner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Iowa?
Yes — at the median salary of $130K, rent takes 13.8% 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 nurse practitioners in Iowa?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new nurse practitioners typically earn — is $108K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $6,552/month. At HUD’s $1,064/month FMR, rent would take 16% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is nurse practitioner a high-paying job in Iowa?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $130K locally vs. $132K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Iowa compare to the national average for nurse practitioners?
Iowa pays $130K median vs. the U.S. average of $132K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $146K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do nurse practitioners make in Iowa?
The median is $130,160 a year, that works out to about $63 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $107,990, and experienced nurse practitioners can clear $167,590. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $130K enough to live in Iowa?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,727/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,064/month, which eats 13.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a nurse practitioners 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 nurse practitioners salary is worth about $146,478 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do nurse practitioners 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.