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

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

In the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan area, receptionists earned a median of $37,910 a year ($18.23 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,260 of these jobs there. That is 27% below the $51,820 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $25,880 and $48,720; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,852 in take-home pay.

Receptionist pay in Des Moines, IA at a glance

Median salary

$37,910$18.23 per hour · $3,159 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$25,880$12.44/hr
25th percentile$31,630$15.21/hr
75th percentile$43,560$20.94/hr
90th percentile$48,720$23.42/hr
Jobs in this metro1,260Location quotient 0.53 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here27% belowAll-jobs median $51,820
Against Iowa2% aboveStatewide median $37,330
Against the U.S.about the same asNational median $38,010

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.

Receptionist salary in Des Moines, IA after taxes

$37,910
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,910
Net 84%
Fed 6%
IA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,852After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,654Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,225Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,369 / yr
Iowa state income tax$789 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,900 / yr

Receptionists 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 receptionists earned in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile$12.44/hr$2,157$25,880$22,591
25th percentile$15.21/hr$2,636$31,630$27,045
MedianMedian$18.23/hr$3,159$37,910$31,852
75th percentile$20.94/hr$3,630$43,560$36,177
90th percentile$23.42/hr$4,060$48,720$40,127

Is $37,910 a good salary in Des Moines, IA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for receptionists 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 household44.1%of area median income

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

Receptionist pay in Des Moines, IA: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for receptionists in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area was $37,910 in May 2025, about $3,159 a month or $18.23 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $37,330, so the metro pays 2% above the state.

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

The median hourly wage for receptionists in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA was $18.23 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $12.44 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.42.

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

BLS estimated 1,260 jobs for receptionists in the metro in May 2025, or 3.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.53 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

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

BLS wage estimates for receptionists in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA run from $25,880 at the 10th percentile to $31,630 at the 25th, $43,560 at the 75th, and $48,720 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $37,910, an estimated $31,852 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,225 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,058 (an effective rate of 16%).

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

On the median annual salary of $37,910, gross monthly income is $3,159. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,654 per month (or $1,225 every two weeks).

Is $37,910 a good salary in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

At $37,910, the median salary for receptionists is 44.1% of the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA median household income ($85,890). It is 27% 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.