Marketing Specialist salary in the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area
Hiring a marketing specialist costs less in the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area than in Iowa or the country as a whole. The median is $56,920 a year1: 14.3% below the Iowa statewide median of $66,390 and 27.7% below the US median of $78,760. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#417 of 516). About 530 marketing specialists work here, 6% of the Iowa total.
BLS occupation 13-1161, area Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area against Iowa and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Iowa (Nonmetro) | $37,680 | $56,920 | $98,560 | |
| Iowa | $40,160 | $66,390 | $122,120 | |
| United States | $43,390 | $78,760 | $155,480 |
The middle half of marketing specialists in the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area earns $45,760–$72,430. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $98,560, only 2.6 times the bottom tenth, against 3.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($63,270) is 11% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $26,670 wide, against $35,670 across Iowa and $49,960 nationally: employers in the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a marketing specialist here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,680 | $3,140 | $18.12 | $48,619 |
| 25th percentile | $45,760 | $3,813 | $22.00 | $59,045 |
| Median | $56,920 | $4,743 | $27.37 | $73,445 |
| 75th percentile | $72,430 | $6,036 | $34.82 | $93,458 |
| 90th percentile | $98,560 | $8,213 | $47.38 | $127,174 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $11,160 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $15,510, or about $20,013 once benefits are added. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $78,760 falls between the 75th and 90th percentiles in the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area, and the Iowa statewide median of $66,390 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local marketing specialists earn.
What a hire really costs in the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area
At the $56,920 median, a local hire costs about $73,445 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $16,525 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for marketing specialists 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 fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area
Of the 17 roles we track in the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area, this one ranks #5 by median pay, between office managers ($62,540) and executive assistants ($55,440). Project Coordinator is the highest at $81,210.
| Role | Median | vs marketing specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruiter | +11.1% | 590 | |
| Office Manager | +9.9% | 790 | |
| Marketing Specialist | this role | 530 | |
| Executive Assistant | -2.6% | 250 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -6.9% | 120 |
Measured against the US median, marketing specialists rank #16 of the 17 roles we track in the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area (-27.7%), between executive assistants (-27.6%) and sales development representatives (-29.3%). The typical role here is at -10.0%, so, measured against the US, marketing specialists cost less in the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Marketing specialists hold 5.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area, 6.5% across Iowa and 5.7% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Iowa
Across the 12 areas of Iowa with data for this job, the median runs from $56,230 in Sioux City to $76,580 in Des Moines-West Des Moines, a gap of $20,350 a year. All 4 areas in Iowa with more marketing specialists than the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area also pay more, among them Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA ($76,580) and Davenport-Moline, IA-IL ($71,590).
| Area | Median | vs the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids, IA | +11.8% | 960 | |
| Dubuque, IA | +8.3% | 330 | |
| Ames, IA | +7.3% | 380 | |
| Northeast Iowa (Nonmetro) | +4.9% | 370 | |
| Southwest Iowa (Nonmetro) | +4.9% | 200 | |
| Northwest Iowa (Nonmetro) | this area | 530 | |
| Sioux City, IA-NE | -1.2% | 220 |
the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area is #172 of 514 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Iowa, Fairbanks-College and Daphne-Fairhope pay just above the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area and Lafayette and Mansfield just below. All four are within $370 a year of the median in the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many marketing specialists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salinas, CA | +23.8% | 540 | jobs | |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | +22.6% | 520 | jobs | |
| Reading, PA | +10.8% | 520 | jobs | |
| Daphne-Fairhope, AL | +0.1% | 370 | pay | |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | +0.0% | 50 | pay | |
| Northwest Iowa (Nonmetro) | this area | 530 | ||
| Lafayette, LA | -0.5% | 420 | pay | |
| Mansfield, OH | -0.7% | 110 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a marketing specialist in Northwest Iowa (Nonmetro)?
About $73,445 a year at the median, or $6,120 a month: $56,920 in pay plus about $16,525 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for marketing specialists in the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $56,920 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $37,680, the 90th $98,560, and the middle half earned $45,760 to $72,430.
Is the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Iowa for marketing specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $56,920 against $66,390 statewide. The next area up in Iowa is the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area at $59,700, the next down Sioux City at $56,230.
How many marketing specialists work in the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 530 in the May 2025 survey. That is 6% of the Iowa total of 8,880. 4 areas in Iowa have more; the closest in size is the Southeast Iowa nonmetro area, with about 850.
Does a marketing specialist cost more than an executive assistant in the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area?
Yes: $1,480 a year more at the median. The medians are $56,920 and $55,440.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1161: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.