SOC 27-1021 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro

Commercial and Industrial Designers Salary in Des Moines, IA

The average salary for commercial and industrial designers in Des Moines, Iowa is $79,560 a year ($38.25 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $77,570: half of the 90 people in this job in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 15% less than the U.S. average for this job ($93,260).

$79,560average per year

$38.25 / hourMedian $77,570Take-home ≈ $62,389

  • $56K10th
  • $62K25th
  • $78KMedian
  • $95K75th
  • $100K90th

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

90people in this job
-15%vs U.S. average
#1 of 5Iowa metros
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
Advertisement

Commercial and Industrial Designers pay range in Des Moines

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $55,570 a year or less, while the top 10% make $100,320 or more. The middle half of commercial and industrial designers in Des Moines earn between $62,130 and $94,560.

  • $56K10th
  • $62K25th
  • $78KMedian
  • $95K75th
  • $100K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$79,560$6,630$38.25
Median$77,570$6,464$37.29
Entry level (25th percentile)$62,130$5,178$29.87
Experienced (75th percentile)$94,560$7,880$45.46

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

Commercial and Industrial Designers pay in Des Moines vs. Iowa and the U.S.

Commercial and industrial designers in Des Moines earn 9% more than the Iowa average ($73,050) and 15% less than the U.S. average ($93,260). At the median the gap is -8% against the U.S. median of $83,910.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Des Moines$79,560$77,570$55,570$100,32090
Iowa$73,050$70,420$51,690$94,570440
United States$93,260$83,910$53,460$139,77033,490

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

Commercial and Industrial Designers salary after taxes in Des Moines

On the average salary of $79,560, a single filer in Des Moines takes home about $62,389 a year, or $5,199 a month and $2,400 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% 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

Advertisement

Is Des Moines a good place for commercial and industrial designers? 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 $79,560 buys what about $86,760 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Des Moines ($51,820). A typical home costs $296,070, or 3.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $79,560 is worth in another city

Commercial and Industrial Designers salary in other Iowa cities

Des Moines ranks 1st of 5 Iowa metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Commercial and Industrial Designers salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for commercial and industrial designers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($148,840).

Commercial and Industrial Designers salary by city

Advertisement

Does this match what you are paid?

Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.

Share your pay anonymously

Reviewed before it counts. Commercial and Industrial Designers in Des Moines, IA.

Commercial and Industrial Designers salary in Des Moines: questions

How much do commercial and industrial designers make an hour in Des Moines?

$38.25 an hour on average, and $37.30 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level commercial and industrial designers salary in Des Moines?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $55,570 a year and the 25th percentile is $62,130, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the commercial and industrial designers take-home pay in Des Moines?

About $62,389 a year ($5,199 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $79,560. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do commercial and industrial designers earn more in Des Moines than elsewhere?

The average here is 15% less than the U.S. average for this job ($93,260).

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 27-1021; area Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (19780). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.2%.
  • 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 0.99, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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