High paying medical jobs in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

Every medical occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single medical job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Cost of living: prices in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA run 8.3% below the national average (2024), so a Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA salary is worth about 1.09× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find medical jobs in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

OccupationMedian, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA · Employed

1Physicians, All Other$309,880
Doctoral or professional degree
$69,670 – $423,130460
2Family Medicine Physicians$265,200
Doctoral or professional degree
$190,600 – $520,860250
3Dentists, General$209,300
Doctoral or professional degree
$137,870 – $259,990360
4Pharmacists$141,110
Doctoral or professional degree
$123,510 – $164,900850
5Physician Assistants$133,830
Master's degree
$99,990 – $188,860340
6Nurse Practitioners$132,230
Master's degree
$113,470 – $166,960820
7Veterinarians$130,900
Doctoral or professional degree
$80,190 – $171,590210
8Physical Therapists$97,790
Doctoral or professional degree
$75,510 – $120,730740
9Dental Hygienists$93,660
Associate's degree
$74,630 – $96,060750
10Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$87,080
Associate's degree
$78,110 – $101,600170
11Speech-Language Pathologists$84,080
Master's degree
$64,950 – $123,350380
12Occupational Therapists$78,770
Master's degree
$64,610 – $108,770340
13Registered Nurses$78,630
Bachelor's degree
$64,680 – $100,5008,130
14Respiratory Therapists$75,650
Associate's degree
$63,740 – $84,260200
15Chiropractors$74,810
Doctoral or professional degree
$26,120 – $126,270240
16Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$67,640
Associate's degree
$58,450 – $86,520560
17Dietitians and Nutritionists$65,820
Bachelor's degree
$37,480 – $91,780210
18Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$63,670
Postsecondary nondegree award
$51,970 – $78,4101,040
19Surgical Technologists$62,250
Postsecondary nondegree award
$51,640 – $73,630230
20Paramedics$61,980
Postsecondary nondegree award
$45,930 – $72,760190
21Medical Records Specialists$54,270
Postsecondary nondegree award
$42,490 – $70,570490
22Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$50,240
Bachelor's degree
$39,330 – $86,010700
23Athletic Trainers$50,110
Master's degree
$48,170 – $71,560180
24Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$49,960
Postsecondary nondegree award
$39,240 – $76,690500
25Ophthalmic Medical Technicians$48,570
Postsecondary nondegree award
$37,760 – $58,610170
26Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$47,780
Associate's degree
$38,090 – $49,880220
27Pharmacy Technicians$46,620
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,580 – $54,7701,160
28Opticians, Dispensing$46,080
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,570 – $56,740240
29Emergency Medical Technicians$42,470
Postsecondary nondegree award
$35,220 – $72,790280
30Psychiatric Technicians$39,750
Postsecondary nondegree award
$35,760 – $46,310300

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianDes Moines-West Des Moines, IA	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$309,880	$69,670 – $423,130	460
2	Family Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$265,200	$190,600 – $520,860	250
3	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$209,300	$137,870 – $259,990	360
4	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$141,110	$123,510 – $164,900	850
5	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$133,830	$99,990 – $188,860	340
6	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$132,230	$113,470 – $166,960	820
7	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$130,900	$80,190 – $171,590	210
8	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$97,790	$75,510 – $120,730	740
9	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$93,660	$74,630 – $96,060	750
10	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$87,080	$78,110 – $101,600	170
11	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$84,080	$64,950 – $123,350	380
12	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$78,770	$64,610 – $108,770	340
13	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$78,630	$64,680 – $100,500	8,130
14	Respiratory TherapistsAssociate's degree	$75,650	$63,740 – $84,260	200
15	ChiropractorsDoctoral or professional degree	$74,810	$26,120 – $126,270	240
16	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$67,640	$58,450 – $86,520	560
17	Dietitians and NutritionistsBachelor's degree	$65,820	$37,480 – $91,780	210
18	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$63,670	$51,970 – $78,410	1,040
19	Surgical TechnologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$62,250	$51,640 – $73,630	230
20	ParamedicsPostsecondary nondegree award	$61,980	$45,930 – $72,760	190
21	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$54,270	$42,490 – $70,570	490
22	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and TechniciansBachelor's degree	$50,240	$39,330 – $86,010	700
23	Athletic TrainersMaster's degree	$50,110	$48,170 – $71,560	180
24	Health Technologists and Technicians, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$49,960	$39,240 – $76,690	500
25	Ophthalmic Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$48,570	$37,760 – $58,610	170
26	Veterinary Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$47,780	$38,090 – $49,880	220
27	Pharmacy TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,620	$36,580 – $54,770	1,160
28	Opticians, DispensingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,080	$38,570 – $56,740	240
29	Emergency Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$42,470	$35,220 – $72,790	280
30	Psychiatric TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$39,750	$35,760 – $46,310	300

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

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The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA to rank honestly.

High paying medical jobs in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

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