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

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

In the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan area, lawyers earned a median of $134,560 a year ($64.69 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,760 of these jobs there. That is 160% above the $51,820 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $65,830 and $292,020; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $98,776 in take-home pay.

Lawyer pay in Des Moines, IA at a glance

Median salary

$134,560$64.69 per hour · $11,213 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$65,830$31.65/hr
25th percentile$95,820$46.07/hr
75th percentile$213,150$102.47/hr
90th percentile$292,020$140.40/hr
Jobs in this metro1,760Location quotient 0.90 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here160% aboveAll-jobs median $51,820
Against Iowa9% aboveStatewide median $123,550
Against the U.S.16% belowNational median $159,670

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.

Lawyer salary in Des Moines, IA after taxes

$134,560
$50,000$270,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$134,560
Net 73%
Fed 16%
IA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$98,776After all taxes
Monthly deposit$8,231Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$3,799Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate26.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$21,028 / yr
Iowa state income tax$4,461 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$10,294 / yr

Lawyers 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 lawyers earned in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile$31.65/hr$5,486$65,830$53,225
25th percentile$46.07/hr$7,985$95,820$73,250
MedianMedian$64.69/hr$11,213$134,560$98,776
75th percentile$102.47/hr$17,763$213,150$151,164
90th percentile$140.40/hr$24,335$292,020$199,732

Is $134,560 a good salary in Des Moines, IA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for lawyers 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 household156.7%of area median income

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

Lawyer pay in Des Moines, IA: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for lawyers in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area was $134,560 in May 2025, about $11,213 a month or $64.69 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $123,550, so the metro pays 9% above the state.

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

The median hourly wage for lawyers in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA was $64.69 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $31.65 an hour and one in ten earned more than $140.40.

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

BLS estimated 1,760 jobs for lawyers in the metro in May 2025, or 4.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.90 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

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

BLS wage estimates for lawyers in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA run from $65,830 at the 10th percentile to $95,820 at the 25th, $213,150 at the 75th, and $292,020 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $134,560, an estimated $98,776 lands in net take-home pay per year ($3,799 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $35,784 (an effective rate of 26.6%).

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

On the median annual salary of $134,560, gross monthly income is $11,213. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $8,231 per month (or $3,799 every two weeks).

Is $134,560 a good salary in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

At $134,560, the median salary for lawyers is 156.7% of the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA median household income ($85,890). It is 160% 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.