Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area
Highest-Paying Occupations in Des Moines Metro
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area
Figures describe the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan statistical area as defined by BLS/OMB — the whole multi-county metro region, not Des Moines city limits. Occupations are ranked by published median annual wage; occupations where BLS suppressed the annual median or publishes only hourly wages are not ranked (5 such occupations here).
Top 25 of 508 occupations
| # | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | $426,310 | $204.96 | 50 |
| 2 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $369,390 | $177.59 | 40 |
| 3 | Psychiatrists | $358,020 | $172.13 | 50 |
| 4 | Physicians, All Other | $309,880 | $148.98 | 460 |
| 5 | Chief Executives | $290,870 | $139.84 | 1,230 |
| 6 | Pediatricians, General | $271,190 | $130.38 | 90 |
| 7 | Family Medicine Physicians | $265,200 | $127.50 | 250 |
| 8 | Anesthesiologists | $239,200 or more | $115.00 or more | 190 |
| 9 | Physicians, Pathologists | $239,200 or more | $115.00 or more | Not published |
| 10 | Radiologists | $239,200 or more | $115.00 or more | Not published |
| 11 | Nurse Anesthetists | $237,670 | $114.26 | 80 |
| 12 | Dentists, General | $209,300 | $100.62 | 360 |
| 13 | Physicists | $178,110 | $85.63 | 50 |
| 14 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $164,840 | $79.25 | 2,050 |
| 15 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $160,990 | Not published | 60 |
| 16 | Financial Managers | $154,140 | $74.11 | 3,800 |
| 17 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | $150,850 | $72.52 | 60 |
| 18 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $148,330 | $71.31 | 360 |
| 19 | Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $147,510 | $70.92 | 90 |
| 20 | Pharmacists | $141,110 | $67.84 | 850 |
| 21 | Managers, All Other | $139,110 | $66.88 | 1,420 |
| 22 | Human Resources Managers | $138,140 | $66.42 | 520 |
| 23 | Sales Managers | $136,570 | $65.66 | 1,200 |
| 24 | Marketing Managers | $135,140 | $64.97 | 950 |
| 25 | Lawyers | $134,560 | $64.69 | 1,760 |
The full list of every published occupation here is on the Des Moines metro area overview.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.