Cost of hiring in Iowa
BLS counts about 136,770 people in these 17 roles in Iowa[1]. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($96,540 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($37,330), and Customer Support Specialist is the largest job, with about 30,100 people.
17roles with BLS pay data
136,770people in these roles
$96,540top median: project coordinator
$37,330lowest median: virtual receptionist
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Iowa
| Role | Median per year | Employer cost | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | $137,914 | -5.6% | 6,720 | |
| Accountant | $110,629 | -7.5% | 13,210 | |
| Recruiter | $95,300 | -12.2% | 7,930 | |
| Marketing Specialist | $94,843 | -15.7% | 8,880 | |
| Office Manager | $92,000 | -7.3% | 10,190 | |
| Sales Development Representative | $89,171 | -10.8% | 6,530 | |
| Executive Assistant | $89,057 | -18.6% | 4,150 | |
| Paralegal | $77,929 | -13.3% | 2,980 | |
| Payroll Specialist | $77,257 | -7.2% | 1,230 | |
| HR Assistant | $69,271 | -4.2% | 920 | |
| Bookkeeper | $68,829 | -4.9% | 14,020 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | $65,843 | +2.9% | 30,100 | |
| Administrative Assistant | $64,500 | -5.0% | 12,830 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | $64,257 | -2.6% | 680 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | $62,343 | +5.6% | 1,180 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | $58,543 | -10.8% | 10,560 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | $53,329 | -1.8% | 4,660 |
Employer cost adds benefits and payroll taxes at 30.0% of total compensation, the US private-industry share[2]. Treat it as an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Metro areas in Iowa
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 45,480 | 17 |
| Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | 16,150 | 17 |
| Southeast Iowa (Nonmetro) | 13,550 | 17 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 13,480 | 17 |
| Northwest Iowa (Nonmetro) | 9,880 | 17 |
| Iowa City, IA | 8,030 | 16 |
| Northeast Iowa (Nonmetro) | 7,490 | 17 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | 6,400 | 17 |
| Dubuque, IA | 5,880 | 15 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE | 5,340 | 15 |
| Southwest Iowa (Nonmetro) | 4,830 | 15 |
| Ames, IA | 4,620 | 16 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Iowa?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $96,540 a year, about $137,914 with benefits.
Which role costs the least in Iowa?
Virtual Receptionist, with a median of $37,330 a year, about $53,329 with benefits.
Sources
- BLS OEWS May 2025: https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-05.