Registered Nurses salary in Des Moines, IA
Median pay for registered nurses in Des Moines, IA: $77,270/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $63,570 – $92,190 · about 7,790 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($80,810) by −$3,540 (-4%).
What it's really worth in Des Moines
With Des Moines's cost of living at 93 (US=100), that $77,270 has the buying power of about $83,308 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 149th of the 187 metros we hold registered nurses wages for. Once Des Moines's cost of living is applied, it ranks 133rd.
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 3.8× 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 registered nurses 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 | $187,080 | +142% | 1.9× |
| San Francisco, CA | $181,240 | +135% | 2.5× |
| San Jose, CA | $179,210 | +132% | 2.8× |
| Sacramento, CA | $157,810 | +104% | 1.8× |
Same job elsewhere in IA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Des Moines | Rent vs Des Moines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davenport, IA | $68,400 | −11% | 0.8× |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $67,150 | −13% | 1× |
Staying in IA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires registered nurses around Des Moines
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- State of Iowa · Government
- 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 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.