Civil Engineers salary in Des Moines, IA

Median pay for civil engineers in Des Moines, IA: $98,550/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $64,700 – $134,400 · about 830 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($88,630) by +$9,920 (+11%).

What it's really worth in Des Moines

With Des Moines's cost of living at 93 (US=100), that $98,550 has the buying power of about $106,251 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $81,103 · median home $296,070 · median rent $1,293/mo.

Full Des Moines cost of living & taxes →

How Des Moines ranks for this job

On raw pay, Des Moines, IA is 38th of the 187 metros we hold civil engineers wages for. Once Des Moines's cost of living is applied, it ranks 13th.

Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Des Moines is one of the places where civil engineers gain ground in real terms, because local costs are low relative to what the job pays.

What that salary buys in Des Moines

A median home in Des Moines, IA costs $296,070 — about 3× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.

Median rent of $1,293/mo works out at 16% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.

Where civil engineers earn more

Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Des Moines.

Metro	Median pay	vs Des Moines	Rent vs Des Moines
Sacramento, CA	$125,760	+28%	1.8×
San Francisco, CA	$122,670	+24%	2.5×
San Jose, CA	$119,430	+21%	2.8×
Baton Rouge, LA	$110,110	+12%	1.1×

Same job elsewhere in IA

Metro	Median pay	vs Des Moines	Rent vs Des Moines
Cedar Rapids, IA	$94,170	−4%	1×
Davenport, IA	$89,650	−9%	0.8×

Staying in IA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

Who hires civil engineers around Des Moines

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• State of Iowa · Government

Other jobs in Des Moines