Accountants & Auditors salary in Des Moines, IA
Median pay for accountants & auditors in Des Moines, IA: $76,630/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $52,120 – $110,450 · about 4,630 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($74,290) by +$2,340 (+3%).
What it's really worth in Des Moines
With Des Moines's cost of living at 93 (US=100), that $76,630 has the buying power of about $82,618 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $81,103 · median home $296,070 · median rent $1,293/mo.
How Des Moines ranks for this job
On raw pay, Des Moines, IA is 76th of the 187 metros we hold accountants & auditors wages for. Once Des Moines's cost of living is applied, it ranks 29th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Des Moines is one of the places where accountants & auditors gain ground in real terms, because local costs are low relative to what the job pays.
What that salary buys in Des Moines
A median home in Des Moines, IA costs $296,070 — about 3.9× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,293/mo works out at 20% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where accountants & auditors earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Des Moines.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Des Moines | Rent vs Des Moines |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $113,980 | +49% | 2.8× |
| San Francisco, CA | $103,990 | +36% | 2.5× |
| New York, NY | $103,900 | +36% | 2.7× |
| Washington, DC | $97,320 | +27% | 1.9× |
Same job elsewhere in IA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Des Moines | Rent vs Des Moines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davenport, IA | $76,000 | −1% | 0.8× |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $74,300 | −3% | 1× |
Staying in IA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires accountants & auditors around Des Moines
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Principal Financial Group · Finance
- Wells Fargo Home Mortgage · Finance
- State of Iowa · Government
Other jobs in Des Moines
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.