GeoFrame / Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
GeoFrame · Metro
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Population 56,343 · 15.6 people / sq mi
Median wage
$50,450
all occupations
Pay index
1.02×
vs national median
Cost of living
91.7
RPP · national = 100
Real earning power
1.11×
pay ÷ local cost
Real earning power — does pay outrun the cost of living?
1.11×
Pay here runs at 1.02× the national wage against a cost of living -8.3% vs the nation — a net earning advantage of +11.1%.
Pay premium
+1.9%
Cost-of-living premium
-8.3%
Net advantage
+11.1%
The geography at a glance
Median wage
$50,450
Pay index
1.02×
vs national
Cost-of-labor rank
#86
of 444 areas
Cost of living (RPP)
91.7
national = 100
Population
56,343
Density
15.6
people / sq mi
Occupations here
secondaryThe occupations we can price in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, ranked by pay — each with its premium over the occupation's national median and the employment growth BLS actually observed here. Jobs are associated context on GeoFrame; the geography is the anchor. Open any on JobFrame for the full role.
Employment growth 2019–2024, BLS OEWS
Across the 387 occupations Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA published in both 2019 and 2024, employment moved +8.2% (331,950 → 359,060jobs). A matched basket, not the metro's total employment — occupations BLS suppressed in either year are left out rather than counted as zero.
| Occupation | Metro pay | vs national | Employment growth2019–2024 | Pay source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aerospace Engineers 17-2011 | $150,010 | +11.3% | — | state | on JobFrame › |
Managers, All Other 11-9199 | $139,520 | +2.2% | — | metro | on JobFrame › |
Human Resources Managers 11-3121 | $137,350 | -1.9% | +14.0% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Marketing Managers 11-2021 | $134,170 | -16.7% | -13.3%state | metro | on JobFrame › |
Database Architects 15-1243 | $131,900 | -3.0% | — | metro | on JobFrame › |
Software Developers 15-1252 | $124,630 | -6.3% | — | metro | on JobFrame › |
Administrative Services Managers 11-3012 | $123,190 | +13.7% | — | metro | on JobFrame › |
Lawyers 23-1011 | $118,750 | -21.4% | +16.9% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Electrical Engineers 17-2071 | $110,350 | -1.4% | +137.5% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Computer Occupations, All Other 15-1299 | $108,040 | -0.9% | +108.0% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Industrial Production Managers 11-3051 | $105,220 | -13.4% | +40.5% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Data Scientists 15-2051 | $102,030 | -9.4% | — | metro | on JobFrame › |
Industrial Engineers 17-2112 | $100,440 | -0.7% | +75.0% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers 11-3071 | $100,210 | -1.8% | +73.3% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Computer Systems Analysts 15-1211 | $98,990 | -4.6% | -30.6% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Engineers, All Other 17-2199 | $98,040 | -16.7% | +4.0% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Civil Engineers 17-2051 | $96,440 | -3.2% | +11.4% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Materials Scientists 19-2032 | $95,990 | -7.8% | +88.9%state | state | on JobFrame › |
Financial and Investment Analysts 13-2051 | $95,850 | -5.4% | — | metro | on JobFrame › |
Project Management Specialists 13-1082 | $93,440 | -7.3% | — | metro | on JobFrame › |
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers 15-1253 | $91,990 | -10.3% | — | metro | on JobFrame › |
Mechanical Engineers 17-2141 | $88,500 | -13.5% | +20.4% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Business Operations Specialists, All Other 13-1199 | $84,070 | +3.4% | — | metro | on JobFrame › |
Financial Specialists, All Other 13-2099 | $77,760 | -3.0% | — | metro | on JobFrame › |
Accountants and Auditors 13-2011 | $77,630 | -5.0% | +28.3% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Training and Development Specialists 13-1151 | $76,530 | +16.2% | +21.6% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Logisticians 13-1081 | $75,400 | -6.8% | -12.3% | metro | on JobFrame › |
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers 51-1011 | $69,590 | -2.2% | +13.9% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Human Resources Specialists 13-1071 | $69,120 | -5.2% | +31.3% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists 13-1141 | $66,160 | -14.1% | +19.4% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel 41-3091 | $64,990 | -1.9% | +17.4% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Paralegals and Legal Assistants 23-2011 | $60,790 | -0.4% | +11.7% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Computer User Support Specialists 15-1232 | $58,820 | -2.5% | +38.1% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other 19-4099 | $44,040 | -26.8% | -52.2% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Animal Caretakers 39-2021 | $30,070 | -10.2% | +23.4% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Compare metros
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA against its two nearest-cost peers and the nation — the metrics side by side.
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA this metro | Huntsville, AL | Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median wage | $50,450 | $50,470 | $50,320 | $49,500 |
| Pay index | 1.02× | 1.02× | 1.02× | 1.00× |
| Cost of living (RPP) | 91.7 | 93.1 | 92.9 | 100.0 |
| Real earning power | 1.11× | 1.10× | 1.09× | 1.00× |
| Population | 56,343 | 423,355 | 173,307 | — |
Methodology
How to read this profile
Every number here is traceable — to a named source, a stated method, and an edition — and each value is labeled by how we know it: observed from data, computed by a formula, projected, or governed canon. Nothing is invented to fill a gap.
Where every number comes from
| What | Source & method | Edition | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-occupation median wage | BLS OEWS metropolitan-area all-occupation median | OEWS 2024 | observed |
| Pay index | Metro median ÷ national all-occupation median | OEWS 2024 | computed |
| Cost of living (RPP) | BEA Regional Price Parities (all items), national = 100 | BEA RPP 2023 | observed |
| Real earning power | Pay index ÷ (RPP ÷ 100) — pay against local cost | GeoFrame formula | computed |
| Population & density | U.S. Census population estimates + land area | Census | observed |
| Occupation pay by metro | BLS OEWS occupational medians (metro; state fallback where metro is suppressed) | OEWS 2024 | observed |
| Cost-of-labor rank | Rank of the metro cost-of-labor index across all areas | OEWS 2024 | computed |
The principles behind the numbers
Pay against local cost, not just pay
Real earning power divides the pay index by the cost of living, so a high wage in an expensive metro is scored honestly.
Observed where we can, computed where we must
Every value is labeled observed, computed, projected, or canon — so you always know how much to lean on it.
Metro grain, state fallback shown as such
When an occupation's metro figure is suppressed we fall back to the state and label the cell — we don't fabricate a metro number.
Gaps shown as gaps
A metro without a cost-of-living parity isn't given a made-up real-earning-power score — the block simply doesn't render.