Web Developers Salary
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, web developers earn $61,960 at the median, or about $29.79 an hour. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $104K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $67,568 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,318/month, about 32.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $62K 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 web developers
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What this looks like in Des Moines-West Des Moines
Pay for web developers in Des Moines-West Des Moines runs about 33% below the U.S. median of $93K. Rent runs $1,318/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.5% 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 web developers in metros near Des Moines-West Des Moines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids | $61K | $68K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $63K | $70K |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls | $78K | $90K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $97K | $94K |
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 web developers (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $62K. Top earners bring in $104K or more, a $55K spread from bottom to top.
Web Developers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Web Developers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $130K | +41% | 4,430 |
| Virginia | $128K | +39% | 4,590 |
| California | $120K | +29% | 7,320 |
| District of Columbia | $115K | +24% | 430 |
| Maryland | $113K | +22% | 1,960 |
| Missouri | $104K | +12% | 1,160 |
| Minnesota | $101K | +9% | 1,200 |
| Utah | $100K | +8% | 1,280 |
| New York | $99K | +6% | 3,990 |
| Michigan | $98K | +6% | 1,580 |
| Massachusetts | $98K | +6% | 1,940 |
| Rhode Island | $98K | +6% | N/A |
| North Carolina | $97K | +4% | 2,030 |
| New Jersey | $95K | +3% | 2,250 |
| Wisconsin | $91K | -2% | 1,180 |
| Georgia | $90K | -2% | 1,500 |
| Pennsylvania | $86K | -7% | 1,670 |
| Colorado | $86K | -7% | 1,680 |
| Connecticut | $86K | -7% | 750 |
| Texas | $86K | -7% | 4,910 |
| Louisiana | $85K | -8% | 490 |
| Illinois | $85K | -8% | 4,310 |
| Vermont | $85K | -9% | 70 |
| Nevada | $83K | -10% | 340 |
| Kentucky | $83K | -11% | 270 |
| Indiana | $81K | -13% | 860 |
| Nebraska | $80K | -13% | 230 |
| Idaho | $79K | -14% | 220 |
| Oklahoma | $79K | -15% | 410 |
| New Hampshire | $78K | -16% | 470 |
| West Virginia | $78K | -16% | 400 |
| South Carolina | $78K | -16% | 710 |
| Arizona | $76K | -18% | 1,010 |
| Delaware | $76K | -18% | N/A |
| Tennessee | $75K | -19% | 1,620 |
| Kansas | $74K | -21% | 500 |
| North Dakota | $72K | -22% | N/A |
| Wyoming | $68K | -26% | 50 |
| New Mexico | $68K | -26% | 130 |
| Oregon | $64K | -30% | 1,140 |
| Iowa | $64K | -31% | 420 |
| Montana | $62K | -33% | 550 |
| South Dakota | $51K | -45% | 390 |
| Arkansas | $51K | -45% | 400 |
Showing 1–10 of 44 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track web developers 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 web developer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $62K, rent takes 32.5% 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 web developers in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new web developers typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,244/month. At HUD’s $1,318/month FMR, rent would take 41% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is web developer a high-paying job in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Local pay runs 33% below the national median — $62K here vs. $93K 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 web developers?
Des Moines-West Des Moines pays $62K median vs. the U.S. average of $93K — that’s -33%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $68K — below the national median.
How much do web developers make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $61,960 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,850, and experienced web developers can clear $103,620. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $62K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,060/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 32.5% 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 web developers 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 web developers salary is worth about $67,568 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do web developers 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.