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Accountant salary and cost of hiring in Iowa

The median accountant in Iowa earned $77,440 a year in May 2025[1], 7.5% below the US median of $83,680. That puts Iowa at #37 of 51 states for this job.

$6,453median pay per month in Iowa
$9,219employer cost per month with benefits
$37.23median pay per hour
13,210people in this job in Iowa

BLS occupation 13-2011. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

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Salary range

Range10thMedian90th
Iowa$51,420$77,440$123,700
United States$56,020$83,680$144,090
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of accountants in Iowa earns $62,090–$98,150; the top tenth earns $123,700 or more, 2.4 times the bottom tenth.

What a hire really costs

Benefits and payroll taxes are 30.0% of total compensation in US private industry[2]. At the Iowa median that makes about $110,629 a year before recruiting, equipment and office space. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.

We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for accountants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee[3]; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool[4].

$110,629local hire, first year incl. benefits
-remote hire, first year incl. fee
-difference in year one
-of the local cost saved

Pay by metro area in Iowa

AreaMedian75th percentileJobs
Ames, IA
$79,320
$98,100530
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
$79,290
$102,3304,850
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD
$78,650
$97,250520
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
$77,600
$101,3001,560
Cedar Rapids, IA
$77,180
$96,9201,190
Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area
$76,540
$95,390940
Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area
$76,520
$98,090680
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area
$75,390
$96,1601,270
Iowa City, IA
$75,100
$96,260790
Dubuque, IA
$74,140
$91,110450
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
$73,530
$94,330540
Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area
$70,190
$90,840430

Ames, IA pays the most ($79,320) and Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area the least ($70,190): $9,130 a year apart for the same job.

What an accountant does

An accountant goes beyond bookkeeping: month-end close, financial statements, budgets, management reports and support for audits and tax filings.

Neighbours in the ranking

StateMedianvs Iowa
Wyoming
$77,620
+0.2%
Maine
$77,480
+0.1%
Iowa
$77,440
+0.0%
Tennessee
$76,840
-0.8%
Missouri
$76,590
-1.1%

Questions

How much does an accountant earn in Iowa?

The median was $77,440 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $62,090 to $98,150.

What does it cost to employ an accountant in Iowa?

About $110,629 a year at the median wage once benefits are added, using the 30% benefits share of US private industry (June 2026).

Where in Iowa do accountants earn the most?

Ames, IA, with a median of $79,320 a year.

Other roles in Iowa

Hire accountants remotely

How to hire accountants

Sources

  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes132011.htm
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm
  3. Silkstaff pricing: https://silkstaff.com/#pricing
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: https://www.deel.com/pricing/

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-05.