Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers Salary
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA make a median of $26,870 a year, or about $12.92 an hour. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $31K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $29,302 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,318/month, about 69.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $27K 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 ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Des Moines-West Des Moines
Pay for ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers in Des Moines-West Des Moines runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $33K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,318/month, which is 70.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. 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. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers in metros near Des Moines-West Des Moines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls | $21K | $25K |
| Dubuque | $33K | $37K |
| St. Joseph | $31K | $36K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $35K | $34K |
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 ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $27K. Top earners bring in $31K or more, a $10K spread from bottom to top.
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $41K | +25% | 4,070 |
| Colorado | $38K | +17% | 2,960 |
| District of Columbia | $38K | +15% | 770 |
| California | $38K | +15% | 16,460 |
| New York | $37K | +13% | 6,910 |
| New Jersey | $36K | +9% | 3,030 |
| Maine | $36K | +9% | 400 |
| Connecticut | $35K | +6% | 1,130 |
| Alaska | $35K | +5% | 180 |
| Illinois | $35K | +5% | 5,160 |
| Montana | $34K | +5% | N/A |
| Oregon | $34K | +4% | 1,100 |
| Rhode Island | $34K | +3% | 340 |
| Maryland | $34K | +3% | 1,770 |
| New Hampshire | $34K | +3% | 190 |
| Massachusetts | $34K | +3% | 2,270 |
| Minnesota | $33K | +2% | 1,880 |
| Arizona | $33K | -1% | 3,540 |
| Missouri | $32K | -2% | 3,010 |
| Delaware | $31K | -5% | 200 |
| Georgia | $31K | -6% | 2,960 |
| Hawaii | $31K | -7% | 540 |
| Tennessee | $31K | -7% | 2,380 |
| Michigan | $31K | -7% | 3,170 |
| North Carolina | $30K | -8% | 5,390 |
| Nevada | $30K | -9% | 3,210 |
| South Dakota | $29K | -11% | 320 |
| Idaho | $29K | -11% | 700 |
| Pennsylvania | $29K | -11% | 4,330 |
| Florida | $29K | -11% | 9,300 |
| Wisconsin | $29K | -13% | 2,100 |
| Virginia | $29K | -13% | 3,130 |
| Ohio | $29K | -13% | 3,730 |
| Nebraska | $28K | -14% | 510 |
| New Mexico | $28K | -14% | 570 |
| Arkansas | $28K | -15% | 340 |
| North Dakota | $28K | -15% | 200 |
| Wyoming | $28K | -16% | 120 |
| Louisiana | $28K | -16% | 870 |
| Indiana | $27K | -17% | 1,930 |
| Kansas | $27K | -19% | 490 |
| Utah | $27K | -19% | 1,340 |
| Texas | $27K | -19% | 12,270 |
| South Carolina | $26K | -20% | 1,300 |
| Oklahoma | $26K | -20% | 1,450 |
| Kentucky | $26K | -21% | 1,110 |
| Iowa | $26K | -22% | 750 |
| West Virginia | $23K | -29% | 300 |
| Alabama | $22K | -32% | 770 |
| Mississippi | $22K | -34% | 610 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Des Moines-West Des Moines numbers change.
Related careers in Personal Care
Frequently asked questions
Can a ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket taker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $27K, rent takes 70.4% 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 $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers typically earn — is $22K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,294/month. At HUD’s $1,318/month FMR, rent would take 102% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket taker a high-paying job in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $27K here vs. $33K 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 ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers?
Des Moines-West Des Moines pays $27K median vs. the U.S. average of $33K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $29K — below the national median.
How much do ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $26,870 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $21,570, and experienced ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers can clear $31,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $27K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,872/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 70.4% 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 ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers 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 ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers salary is worth about $29,302 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers 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.