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

How much does a medical assistant make in Des Moines, IA?

In the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan area, medical assistants earned a median of $46,920 a year ($22.56 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,780 of these jobs there. That is 9% below the $51,820 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $36,470 and $58,240; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $38,749 in take-home pay.

Medical assistant pay in Des Moines, IA at a glance

Median salary

$46,920$22.56 per hour · $3,910 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$36,470$17.53/hr
25th percentile$39,520$19.00/hr
75th percentile$48,970$23.54/hr
90th percentile$58,240$28.00/hr
Jobs in this metro1,780Location quotient 0.84 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here9% belowAll-jobs median $51,820
Against Iowa3% aboveStatewide median $45,480
Against the U.S.3% aboveNational median $45,690

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.

Medical assistant salary in Des Moines, IA after taxes

$46,920
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$46,920
Net 83%
Fed 7%
IA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$38,749After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,229Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,490Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,450 / yr
Iowa state income tax$1,131 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,589 / yr

Medical assistants 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 medical assistants earned in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile$17.53/hr$3,039$36,470$30,750
25th percentile$19.00/hr$3,293$39,520$33,084
MedianMedian$22.56/hr$3,910$46,920$38,749
75th percentile$23.54/hr$4,081$48,970$40,318
90th percentile$28.00/hr$4,853$58,240$47,415

Is $46,920 a good salary in Des Moines, IA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for medical assistants 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 household54.6%of area median income

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

Medical assistant pay in Des Moines, IA: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for medical assistants in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area was $46,920 in May 2025, about $3,910 a month or $22.56 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $45,480, so the metro pays 3% above the state.

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

The median hourly wage for medical assistants in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA was $22.56 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.53 an hour and one in ten earned more than $28.00.

How many medical assistants work in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

BLS estimated 1,780 jobs for medical assistants in the metro in May 2025, or 4.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.84 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

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

BLS wage estimates for medical assistants in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA run from $36,470 at the 10th percentile to $39,520 at the 25th, $48,970 at the 75th, and $58,240 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $46,920, an estimated $38,749 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,490 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,171 (an effective rate of 17.4%).

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

On the median annual salary of $46,920, gross monthly income is $3,910. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,229 per month (or $1,490 every two weeks).

Is $46,920 a good salary in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

At $46,920, the median salary for medical assistants is 54.6% of the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA median household income ($85,890). It is 9% 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.