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

How much does a home health or personal care aide make in Des Moines, IA?

In the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan area, home health or personal care aides earned a median of $36,350 a year ($17.48 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 6,210 of these jobs there. That is 30% below the $51,820 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $30,800 and $44,520; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,658 in take-home pay.

Home health or personal care aide pay in Des Moines, IA at a glance

Median salary

$36,350$17.48 per hour · $3,029 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$30,800$14.81/hr
25th percentile$35,050$16.85/hr
75th percentile$37,790$18.17/hr
90th percentile$44,520$21.41/hr
Jobs in this metro6,210Location quotient 0.55 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here30% belowAll-jobs median $51,820
Against Iowa1% aboveStatewide median $36,080
Against the U.S.2% aboveNational median $35,800

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.

Home health or personal care aide salary in Des Moines, IA after taxes

$36,350
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,350
Net 84%
Fed 6%
IA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,658After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,555Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,179Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,182 / yr
Iowa state income tax$730 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,781 / yr

Home health or personal care aides 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 home health or personal care aides earned in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile$14.81/hr$2,567$30,800$26,409
25th percentile$16.85/hr$2,921$35,050$29,663
MedianMedian$17.48/hr$3,029$36,350$30,658
75th percentile$18.17/hr$3,149$37,790$31,760
90th percentile$21.41/hr$3,710$44,520$36,912

Is $36,350 a good salary in Des Moines, IA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for home health or personal care aides 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 household42.3%of area median income

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

Home health or personal care aide pay in Des Moines, IA: common questions

What is the median salary for home health or personal care aides in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

The BLS median annual wage for home health or personal care aides in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area was $36,350 in May 2025, about $3,029 a month or $17.48 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $36,080, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for home health or personal care aides in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

The median hourly wage for home health or personal care aides in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA was $17.48 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.81 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.41.

How many home health or personal care aides work in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

BLS estimated 6,210 jobs for home health or personal care aides in the metro in May 2025, or 15.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.55 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for home health or personal care aides in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

BLS wage estimates for home health or personal care aides in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA run from $30,800 at the 10th percentile to $35,050 at the 25th, $37,790 at the 75th, and $44,520 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do home health or personal care aides take home after taxes in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

On a median gross salary of $36,350, an estimated $30,658 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,179 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,692 (an effective rate of 15.7%).

How much do home health or personal care aides make per month in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

On the median annual salary of $36,350, gross monthly income is $3,029. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,555 per month (or $1,179 every two weeks).

Is $36,350 a good salary in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

At $36,350, the median salary for home health or personal care aides is 42.3% of the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA median household income ($85,890). It is 30% below 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.