High paying medical jobs in Iowa

Every medical occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Iowa. 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 Iowa run 12.2% below the national average (2024), so a Iowa salary is worth about 1.14× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order. To see where a job pays a real premium, use jobs that pay more in Iowa.

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

Find medical jobs in Iowa

OccupationMedian, Iowa · Employed

1Physicians, All Other$295,190
Doctoral or professional degree
$74,210 – $412,0101,440
2Family Medicine Physicians$265,200
Doctoral or professional degree
$116,900 – $460,2301,140
3Dentists, General$181,520
Doctoral or professional degree
$100,920 – $259,9901,240
4Pharmacists$138,860
Doctoral or professional degree
$117,450 – $164,5203,230
5Physician Assistants$134,770
Master's degree
$102,330 – $182,9401,200
6Nurse Practitioners$130,160
Master's degree
$107,990 – $167,5903,240
7Veterinarians$124,610
Doctoral or professional degree
$72,800 – $168,9501,000
8Physical Therapists$97,560
Doctoral or professional degree
$73,780 – $120,7302,530
9Occupational Therapists$89,910
Master's degree
$64,610 – $109,2001,290
10Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$86,480
Associate's degree
$72,480 – $101,970740
11Dental Hygienists$84,010
Associate's degree
$78,320 – $95,8102,440
12Speech-Language Pathologists$81,050
Master's degree
$63,270 – $106,4601,540
13Registered Nurses$78,630
Bachelor's degree
$63,840 – $100,50034,420
14Chiropractors$75,050
Doctoral or professional degree
$35,990 – $122,740970
15Respiratory Therapists$74,760
Associate's degree
$62,860 – $86,510910
16Dietitians and Nutritionists$72,690
Bachelor's degree
$50,720 – $92,940630
17Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$65,930
Associate's degree
$54,360 – $86,5202,550
18Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$62,630
Postsecondary nondegree award
$50,550 – $77,7105,510
19Paramedics$60,590
Postsecondary nondegree award
$47,750 – $78,1401,170
20Surgical Technologists$60,540
Postsecondary nondegree award
$47,280 – $75,100950
21Athletic Trainers$55,430
Master's degree
$47,250 – $69,620570
22Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$54,260
Bachelor's degree
$38,790 – $79,6603,240
23Medical Records Specialists$50,640
Postsecondary nondegree award
$38,910 – $66,3902,250
24Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$47,910
Postsecondary nondegree award
$38,010 – $76,6901,600
25Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$45,560
Associate's degree
$36,290 – $63,8601,220
26Pharmacy Technicians$44,860
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,140 – $52,1504,630
27Opticians, Dispensing$44,480
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,270 – $53,790920
28Ophthalmic Medical Technicians$44,030
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,860 – $58,610500
29Psychiatric Technicians$42,910
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,370 – $46,310690
30Emergency Medical Technicians$40,660
Postsecondary nondegree award
$35,600 – $60,0801,510

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

#	Occupation	MedianIowa	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$295,190	$74,210 – $412,010	1,440
2	Family Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$265,200	$116,900 – $460,230	1,140
3	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$181,520	$100,920 – $259,990	1,240
4	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$138,860	$117,450 – $164,520	3,230
5	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$134,770	$102,330 – $182,940	1,200
6	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$130,160	$107,990 – $167,590	3,240
7	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$124,610	$72,800 – $168,950	1,000
8	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$97,560	$73,780 – $120,730	2,530
9	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$89,910	$64,610 – $109,200	1,290
10	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$86,480	$72,480 – $101,970	740
11	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$84,010	$78,320 – $95,810	2,440
12	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$81,050	$63,270 – $106,460	1,540
13	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$78,630	$63,840 – $100,500	34,420
14	ChiropractorsDoctoral or professional degree	$75,050	$35,990 – $122,740	970
15	Respiratory TherapistsAssociate's degree	$74,760	$62,860 – $86,510	910
16	Dietitians and NutritionistsBachelor's degree	$72,690	$50,720 – $92,940	630
17	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$65,930	$54,360 – $86,520	2,550
18	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$62,630	$50,550 – $77,710	5,510
19	ParamedicsPostsecondary nondegree award	$60,590	$47,750 – $78,140	1,170
20	Surgical TechnologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$60,540	$47,280 – $75,100	950
21	Athletic TrainersMaster's degree	$55,430	$47,250 – $69,620	570
22	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and TechniciansBachelor's degree	$54,260	$38,790 – $79,660	3,240
23	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$50,640	$38,910 – $66,390	2,250
24	Health Technologists and Technicians, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$47,910	$38,010 – $76,690	1,600
25	Veterinary Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$45,560	$36,290 – $63,860	1,220
26	Pharmacy TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,860	$36,140 – $52,150	4,630
27	Opticians, DispensingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,480	$37,270 – $53,790	920
28	Ophthalmic Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$44,030	$36,860 – $58,610	500
29	Psychiatric TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$42,910	$36,370 – $46,310	690
30	Emergency Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$40,660	$35,600 – $60,080	1,510

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Iowa. 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.

More for Iowa

Metro areas in Iowa

Pay varies more between metros than between states — the spread inside one state is often wider than the gap between two.

By field in Iowa

Without a degree

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

High paying medical jobs in Iowa

More for Iowa

Metro areas in Iowa

By field in Iowa

Without a degree

High paying medical jobs in each state