Carpenters salary in Des Moines, IA

Median pay for carpenters in Des Moines, IA: $50,400/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $37,860 – $69,060 · about 1,990 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($49,990) by +$410 (+1%).

What it's really worth in Des Moines

With Des Moines's cost of living at 93 (US=100), that $50,400 has the buying power of about $54,338 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $81,103 · median home $296,070 · median rent $1,293/mo.

Full Des Moines cost of living & taxes →

How Des Moines ranks for this job

On raw pay, Des Moines, IA is 91st of the 187 metros we hold carpenters wages for. Once Des Moines's cost of living is applied, it ranks 84th.

Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Des Moines sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.

What that salary buys in Des Moines

A median home in Des Moines, IA costs $296,070 — about 5.9× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.

Median rent of $1,293/mo works out at 31% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.

Where carpenters 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
Honolulu, HI	$90,030	+79%	2.3×
Santa Rosa, CA	$80,260	+59%	2×
San Francisco, CA	$79,730	+58%	2.5×
San Jose, CA	$75,600	+50%	2.8×

Same job elsewhere in IA

Metro	Median pay	vs Des Moines	Rent vs Des Moines
Davenport, IA	$54,690	+9%	0.8×
Cedar Rapids, IA	$50,670	+1%	1×

Staying in IA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

Who hires carpenters around Des Moines

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• State of Iowa · Government

Other jobs in Des Moines