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

How much does a janitor make in Des Moines, IA?

In the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan area, janitors earned a median of $35,000 a year ($16.83 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 5,720 of these jobs there. That is 32% below the $51,820 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $29,570 and $46,850; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,624 in take-home pay.

Janitor pay in Des Moines, IA at a glance

Median salary

$35,000$16.83 per hour · $2,917 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$29,570$14.22/hr
25th percentile$31,220$15.01/hr
75th percentile$39,230$18.86/hr
90th percentile$46,850$22.52/hr
Jobs in this metro5,720Location quotient 1.00 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here32% belowAll-jobs median $51,820
Against Iowa1% belowStatewide median $35,380
Against the U.S.5% belowNational median $36,840

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.

Janitor salary in Des Moines, IA after taxes

$35,000
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,000
Net 85%
Fed 6%
IA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,624After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,469Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,139Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,020 / yr
Iowa state income tax$678 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,678 / yr

Janitors 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 janitors earned in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile$14.22/hr$2,464$29,570$25,468
25th percentile$15.01/hr$2,602$31,220$26,731
MedianMedian$16.83/hr$2,917$35,000$29,624
75th percentile$18.86/hr$3,269$39,230$32,862
90th percentile$22.52/hr$3,904$46,850$38,695

Is $35,000 a good salary in Des Moines, IA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for janitors 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 household40.7%of area median income

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

Janitor pay in Des Moines, IA: common questions

What is the median salary for janitors in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

The BLS median annual wage for janitors in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area was $35,000 in May 2025, about $2,917 a month or $16.83 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $35,380, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for janitors in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

The median hourly wage for janitors in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA was $16.83 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.22 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.52.

How many janitors work in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

BLS estimated 5,720 jobs for janitors in the metro in May 2025, or 14.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.00 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for janitors in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

BLS wage estimates for janitors in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA run from $29,570 at the 10th percentile to $31,220 at the 25th, $39,230 at the 75th, and $46,850 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do janitors take home after taxes in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

On a median gross salary of $35,000, an estimated $29,624 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,139 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,376 (an effective rate of 15.4%).

How much do janitors make per month in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

On the median annual salary of $35,000, gross monthly income is $2,917. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,469 per month (or $1,139 every two weeks).

Is $35,000 a good salary in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

At $35,000, the median salary for janitors is 40.7% of the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA median household income ($85,890). It is 32% 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.