Medical Assistants salary in Des Moines, IA
Median pay for medical assistants in Des Moines, IA: $46,280/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $37,970 – $53,540 · about 1,190 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($39,165) by +$7,115 (+18%).
What it's really worth in Des Moines
With Des Moines's cost of living at 93 (US=100), that $46,280 has the buying power of about $49,896 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 28th of the 186 metros we hold medical assistants wages for. Once Des Moines's cost of living is applied, it ranks 8th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Des Moines is one of the places where medical assistants 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 6.4× 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 34% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.
Where medical assistants 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $74,750 | +62% | 1.9× |
| San Jose, CA | $60,500 | +31% | 2.8× |
| San Francisco, CA | $59,770 | +29% | 2.5× |
| Sacramento, CA | $59,520 | +29% | 1.8× |
Same job elsewhere in IA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Des Moines | Rent vs Des Moines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $43,520 | −6% | 1× |
| Davenport, IA | $40,830 | −12% | 0.8× |
Staying in IA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires medical assistants around Des Moines
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- UnityPoint Health · Healthcare
- MercyOne Des Moines · Healthcare
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 186 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.