Jobs that pay the biggest premium in Iowa

Each occupation's median wage in Iowa compared against the national median for the same occupation. Unlike a cost-of-living adjustment — which scales every job in a state by the same constant and so cannot change their order — this genuinely re-ranks, and it shows where Iowa pays a real premium. Limited to occupations with at least 1,000 workers in the state.

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 high paying jobs in Iowa

OccupationMedian, Iowa · vs. national

1Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$72,670
High school diploma or equivalent
$48,580 – $72,670+44.9%
2Conveyor Operators and Tenders$56,900
No formal educational credential
$43,190 – $63,780+34.1%
3Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$62,590
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,840 – $64,780+28.9%
4Soil and Plant Scientists$96,310
Bachelor's degree
$56,270 – $170,820+22.1%
5Driver/Sales Workers$47,120
High school diploma or equivalent
$22,670 – $64,760+21.5%
6Parts Salespersons$46,670
No formal educational credential
$29,500 – $65,000+20.8%
7Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary$128,490
Doctoral or professional degree
$62,810 – $358,550+19.7%
8Health Education Specialists$75,750
Bachelor's degree
$46,450 – $95,750+18.2%
9Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$51,200
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,540 – $57,480+18.0%
10Property Appraisers and Assessors$80,160
Bachelor's degree
$45,950 – $129,790+18.0%
11Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists$77,390
Bachelor's degree
$57,410 – $94,810+16.8%
12Wind Turbine Service Technicians$74,880
Postsecondary nondegree award
$57,630 – $100,410+16.8%
13Helpers--Production Workers$45,560
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,850 – $54,390+16.6%
14Highway Maintenance Workers$58,490
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,380 – $67,980+16.4%
15Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners$57,980
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,650 – $72,660+16.2%
16Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers$63,700
Associate's degree
$34,540 – $94,950+15.8%
17Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders$47,900
High school diploma or equivalent
$43,410 – $52,020+15.2%
18Food Batchmakers$48,300
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,830 – $62,780+14.2%
19Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs$61,340
High school diploma or equivalent
$45,320 – $78,780+13.2%
20Agricultural Equipment Operators$47,220
No formal educational credential
$37,020 – $62,360+13.2%
21Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other$51,700
High school diploma or equivalent
$29,530 – $69,490+13.2%
22Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door$83,830
High school diploma or equivalent
$50,400 – $103,890+12.8%
23Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers$43,190
No formal educational credential
$39,170 – $46,220+12.8%
24Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians$72,540
Associate's degree
$46,520 – $90,760+11.7%
25Physicians, All Other$295,190
Doctoral or professional degree
$74,210 – $412,010+11.0%
26Production Workers, All Other$44,450
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,680 – $60,650+10.8%
27Locomotive Engineers$89,970
High school diploma or equivalent
$74,770 – $95,710+10.5%
28Machine Feeders and Offbearers$45,250
No formal educational credential
$34,540 – $56,850+9.8%
29Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$48,920
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,560 – $59,590+9.6%
30Slaughterers and Meat Packers$43,820
No formal educational credential
$33,750 – $46,060+9.2%
31Loan Officers$83,670
Bachelor's degree
$51,690 – $138,150+9.1%
32Family Medicine Physicians$265,200
Doctoral or professional degree
$116,900 – $460,230+8.6%
33Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand$43,490
No formal educational credential
$32,790 – $53,620+8.1%
34Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$51,740
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,950 – $62,330+8.0%
35Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$49,340
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,290 – $62,100+7.8%
36Sheet Metal Workers$66,460
High school diploma or equivalent
$43,770 – $91,450+7.5%
37Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders$47,960
No formal educational credential
$36,480 – $63,340+7.0%
38Public Safety Telecommunicators$56,770
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,340 – $72,000+7.0%
39Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$49,600
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,510 – $62,390+6.5%
40Maintenance Workers, Machinery$64,760
High school diploma or equivalent
$49,640 – $79,340+6.4%
41Dentists, General$181,520
Doctoral or professional degree
$100,920 – $259,990+6.2%
42Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians$59,860
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,190 – $77,880+5.9%
43Data Entry Keyers$43,640
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,210 – $57,920+5.6%
44Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$45,660
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,040 – $63,230+5.6%
45Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse$37,590
No formal educational credential
$29,120 – $46,700+5.4%
46Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$51,570
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,550 – $73,410+5.3%
47Food Processing Workers, All Other$41,740
No formal educational credential
$40,230 – $43,140+5.2%
48Maintenance and Repair Workers, General$52,160
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,570 – $74,490+5.2%
49Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers$100,200
High school diploma or equivalent
$65,310 – $109,980+5.1%
50Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks$47,590
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,990 – $62,420+5.1%

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	vs. national
1	Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$72,670	$48,580 – $72,670	+44.9%
2	Conveyor Operators and TendersNo formal educational credential	$56,900	$43,190 – $63,780	+34.1%
3	Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$62,590	$44,840 – $64,780	+28.9%
4	Soil and Plant ScientistsBachelor's degree	$96,310	$56,270 – $170,820	+22.1%
5	Driver/Sales WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,120	$22,670 – $64,760	+21.5%
6	Parts SalespersonsNo formal educational credential	$46,670	$29,500 – $65,000	+20.8%
7	Health Specialties Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$128,490	$62,810 – $358,550	+19.7%
8	Health Education SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$75,750	$46,450 – $95,750	+18.2%
9	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,200	$39,540 – $57,480	+18.0%
10	Property Appraisers and AssessorsBachelor's degree	$80,160	$45,950 – $129,790	+18.0%
11	Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$77,390	$57,410 – $94,810	+16.8%
12	Wind Turbine Service TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$74,880	$57,630 – $100,410	+16.8%
13	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,560	$34,850 – $54,390	+16.6%
14	Highway Maintenance WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,490	$47,380 – $67,980	+16.4%
15	Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe CleanersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,980	$40,650 – $72,660	+16.2%
16	Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral ArrangersAssociate's degree	$63,700	$34,540 – $94,950	+15.8%
17	Food Cooking Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,900	$43,410 – $52,020	+15.2%
18	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,300	$35,830 – $62,780	+14.2%
19	Eligibility Interviewers, Government ProgramsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$61,340	$45,320 – $78,780	+13.2%
20	Agricultural Equipment OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$47,220	$37,020 – $62,360	+13.2%
21	Office and Administrative Support Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,700	$29,530 – $69,490	+13.2%
22	Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical DoorHigh school diploma or equivalent	$83,830	$50,400 – $103,890	+12.8%
23	Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and TrimmersNo formal educational credential	$43,190	$39,170 – $46,220	+12.8%
24	Civil Engineering Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$72,540	$46,520 – $90,760	+11.7%
25	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$295,190	$74,210 – $412,010	+11.0%
26	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,450	$30,680 – $60,650	+10.8%
27	Locomotive EngineersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$89,970	$74,770 – $95,710	+10.5%
28	Machine Feeders and OffbearersNo formal educational credential	$45,250	$34,540 – $56,850	+9.8%
29	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,920	$35,560 – $59,590	+9.6%
30	Slaughterers and Meat PackersNo formal educational credential	$43,820	$33,750 – $46,060	+9.2%
31	Loan OfficersBachelor's degree	$83,670	$51,690 – $138,150	+9.1%
32	Family Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$265,200	$116,900 – $460,230	+8.6%
33	Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, HandNo formal educational credential	$43,490	$32,790 – $53,620	+8.1%
34	Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,740	$42,950 – $62,330	+8.0%
35	Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,340	$40,290 – $62,100	+7.8%
36	Sheet Metal WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$66,460	$43,770 – $91,450	+7.5%
37	Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and TendersNo formal educational credential	$47,960	$36,480 – $63,340	+7.0%
38	Public Safety TelecommunicatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,770	$47,340 – $72,000	+7.0%
39	Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,600	$40,510 – $62,390	+6.5%
40	Maintenance Workers, MachineryHigh school diploma or equivalent	$64,760	$49,640 – $79,340	+6.4%
41	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$181,520	$100,920 – $259,990	+6.2%
42	Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,860	$44,190 – $77,880	+5.9%
43	Data Entry KeyersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,640	$32,210 – $57,920	+5.6%
44	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,660	$37,040 – $63,230	+5.6%
45	Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and GreenhouseNo formal educational credential	$37,590	$29,120 – $46,700	+5.4%
46	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,570	$41,550 – $73,410	+5.3%
47	Food Processing Workers, All OtherNo formal educational credential	$41,740	$40,230 – $43,140	+5.2%
48	Maintenance and Repair Workers, GeneralHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,160	$36,570 – $74,490	+5.2%
49	Electrical Power-Line Installers and RepairersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$100,200	$65,310 – $109,980	+5.1%
50	Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory ClerksHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,590	$35,990 – $62,420	+5.1%

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.

Jobs that pay the biggest premium in Iowa

More for Iowa

Metro areas in Iowa

By field in Iowa

Without a degree

Jobs that pay the biggest premium in each state