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

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

In the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan area, teaching assistants earned a median of $34,620 a year in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 5,140 of these jobs there. That is 33% below the $51,820 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $23,740 and $38,340; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,333 in take-home pay.

Teaching assistant pay in Des Moines, IA at a glance

Median salary

$34,620$2,885 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$23,740—
25th percentile$29,470—
75th percentile$37,110—
90th percentile$38,340—
Jobs in this metro5,140Location quotient 1.39 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here33% belowAll-jobs median $51,820
Against Iowa13% aboveStatewide median $30,510
Against the U.S.6% belowNational median $36,780

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.

Teaching assistant salary in Des Moines, IA after taxes

$34,620
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,620
Net 85%
Fed 6%
IA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,333After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,444Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,128Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,974 / yr
Iowa state income tax$664 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,648 / yr

Teaching 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 teaching assistants earned in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile—$1,978$23,740$20,910
25th percentile—$2,456$29,470$25,391
MedianMedian—$2,885$34,620$29,333
75th percentile—$3,093$37,110$31,240
90th percentile—$3,195$38,340$32,181

Is $34,620 a good salary in Des Moines, IA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for teaching 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 household40.3%of area median income

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

Teaching assistant pay in Des Moines, IA: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for teaching assistants in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area was $34,620 in May 2025, about $2,885 a month. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $30,510, so the metro pays 13% above the state.

Is there an hourly rate for teaching assistants in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

BLS publishes pay for this job as an annual salary only, because the hours worked in a year vary too much to state a meaningful hourly rate.

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

BLS estimated 5,140 jobs for teaching assistants in the metro in May 2025, or 12.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.39 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

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

BLS wage estimates for teaching assistants in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA run from $23,740 at the 10th percentile to $29,470 at the 25th, $37,110 at the 75th, and $38,340 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $34,620, an estimated $29,333 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,128 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,287 (an effective rate of 15.3%).

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

On the median annual salary of $34,620, gross monthly income is $2,885. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,444 per month (or $1,128 every two weeks).

Is $34,620 a good salary in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

At $34,620, the median salary for teaching assistants is 40.3% of the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA median household income ($85,890). It is 33% 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.