Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a high school teacher make in Des Moines, IA?

In the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan area, high school teachers earned a median of $62,480 a year in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,660 of these jobs there. That is 21% above the $51,820 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $47,870 and $82,100; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $50,660 in take-home pay.

High school teacher pay in Des Moines, IA at a glance

Median salary

$62,480$5,207 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$47,870—
25th percentile$50,980—
75th percentile$77,550—
90th percentile$82,100—
Jobs in this metro2,660Location quotient 0.96 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here21% aboveAll-jobs median $51,820
Against Iowa2% aboveStatewide median $61,200
Against the U.S.13% belowNational median $72,040

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

High school teacher salary in Des Moines, IA after taxes

$62,480
$20,000$125,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$62,480
Net 81%
Fed 9%
IA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$50,660After all taxes
Monthly deposit$4,222Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,948Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$5,318 / yr
Iowa state income tax$1,722 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$4,780 / yr

High school teachers pay range in Des Moines, IA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What high school teachers earned in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile—$3,989$47,870$39,476
25th percentile—$4,248$50,980$41,857
MedianMedian—$5,207$62,480$50,660
75th percentile—$6,463$77,550$61,091
90th percentile—$6,842$82,100$64,119

Is $62,480 a good salary in Des Moines, IA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for high school teachers next to both.

Median household income$85,890Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)91.78.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household72.7%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

High school teacher pay in Des Moines, IA: common questions

What is the median salary for high school teachers in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

The BLS median annual wage for high school teachers in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area was $62,480 in May 2025, about $5,207 a month. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $61,200, so the metro pays 2% above the state.

Is there an hourly rate for high school teachers in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

BLS publishes pay for this job as an annual salary only, because the hours worked in a year vary too much to state a meaningful hourly rate.

How many high school teachers work in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

BLS estimated 2,660 jobs for high school teachers in the metro in May 2025, or 6.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.96 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for high school teachers in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

BLS wage estimates for high school teachers in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA run from $47,870 at the 10th percentile to $50,980 at the 25th, $77,550 at the 75th, and $82,100 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do high school teachers take home after taxes in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

On a median gross salary of $62,480, an estimated $50,660 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,948 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $11,820 (an effective rate of 18.9%).

How much do high school teachers make per month in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

On the median annual salary of $62,480, gross monthly income is $5,207. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $4,222 per month (or $1,948 every two weeks).

Is $62,480 a good salary in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

At $62,480, the median salary for high school teachers is 72.7% of the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA median household income ($85,890). It is 21% above the $51,820 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 91.7, so prices here run 8.3% below the U.S. average.