SOC 25-1194 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary Salary in Des Moines, IA

The average salary for career/technical education teachers, postsecondary in Des Moines, Iowa is $70,410 a year ($33.85 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $62,420: half of the 260 people in this job in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($72,060).

$70,410average per year

$33.85 / hourMedian $62,420Take-home ≈ $56,300

  • $49K10th
  • $52K25th
  • $62KMedian
  • $83K75th
  • $96K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

260people in this job
-2%vs U.S. average
#2 of 4Iowa metros
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary pay range in Des Moines

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,930 a year or less, while the top 10% make $96,210 or more. The middle half of career/technical education teachers, postsecondary in Des Moines earn between $52,490 and $82,730.

  • $49K10th
  • $52K25th
  • $62KMedian
  • $83K75th
  • $96K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$70,410$5,868$33.85
Median$62,420$5,202$30.01
Entry level (25th percentile)$52,490$4,374$25.24
Experienced (75th percentile)$82,730$6,894$39.77

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary pay in Des Moines vs. Iowa and the U.S.

Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary in Des Moines earn 3% more than the Iowa average ($68,130) and about the same as the U.S. average ($72,060). At the median the gap is -2% against the U.S. median of $63,820.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Des Moines$70,410$62,420$48,930$96,210260
Iowa$68,130$62,270$45,080$96,2101,170
United States$72,060$63,820$41,960$108,620114,110

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary salary after taxes in Des Moines

On the average salary of $70,410, a single filer in Des Moines takes home about $56,300 a year, or $4,692 a month and $2,165 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Iowa paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Des Moines a good place for career/technical education teachers, postsecondary? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Des Moines area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 91.7), so the average $70,410 buys what about $76,782 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Des Moines ($51,820). A typical home costs $296,070, or 4.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $70,410 is worth in another city

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary salary in other Iowa cities

Des Moines ranks 2nd of 4 Iowa metro areas for this job; Waterloo pays the most ($73,480).

All Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for career/technical education teachers, postsecondary

Chico, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($129,060).

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary salary by city

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Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary salary in Des Moines: questions

How much do career/technical education teachers, postsecondary make an hour in Des Moines?

$33.85 an hour on average, and $30.01 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level career/technical education teachers, postsecondary salary in Des Moines?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,930 a year and the 25th percentile is $52,490, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the career/technical education teachers, postsecondary take-home pay in Des Moines?

About $56,300 a year ($4,692 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $70,410. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do career/technical education teachers, postsecondary earn more in Des Moines than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($72,060).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 25-1194; area Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (19780). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.0%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.87, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.