Office Clerks, General Salary
Office Clerks, Generals in Iowa make a median of $44,310 a year, or about $21.3 an hour. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $61K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.86), which stretches that salary to about $49,865 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,064/month, about 35.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Iowa. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $44K get you in Iowa?
About office clerks, generals
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What this looks like in Iowa
Office clerks, general pay in Iowa tracks closely to the national median, $44K locally vs. $45K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,064/month, which is 35.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. 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 office clerks, generals (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $61K or more, a $32K spread from bottom to top.
Office Clerks, General 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 | $47K | +5% | 6,010 |
| Iowa City | $46K | +5% | 1,230 |
| Ames | $45K | +3% | 710 |
| Dubuque | $45K | +2% | 920 |
| Cedar Rapids | $45K | +1% | 2,020 |
| Sioux City | $44K | -1% | 820 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls | $44K | -1% | 1,220 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $42K | -4% | 2,370 |
Compare to other states
Track office clerks, general salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Iowa numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a office clerks, general afford a 2BR apartment alone in Iowa?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 35.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,064/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 office clerks, generals in Iowa?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new office clerks, generals typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,780/month. At HUD’s $1,064/month FMR, rent would take 60% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is office clerks, general a high-paying job in Iowa?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $44K locally vs. $45K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Iowa compare to the national average for office clerks, generals?
Iowa pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do office clerks, generals make in Iowa?
The median is $44,310 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,660, and experienced office clerks, generals can clear $61,410. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in Iowa?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,962/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,064/month, which eats 35.9% 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 office clerks, general 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 office clerks, general salary is worth about $49,865 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do office clerks, generals 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.