Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers salary in Des Moines, IA
Median pay for police & sheriff's patrol officers in Des Moines, IA: $78,450/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $60,990 – $96,090 · about 1,120 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($69,845) by +$8,605 (+12%).
What it's really worth in Des Moines
With Des Moines's cost of living at 93 (US=100), that $78,450 has the buying power of about $84,580 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $81,103 · median home $296,070 · median rent $1,293/mo.
How Des Moines ranks for this job
On raw pay, Des Moines, IA is 69th of the 186 metros we hold police & sheriff's patrol officers wages for. Once Des Moines's cost of living is applied, it ranks 55th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Des Moines sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Des Moines
A median home in Des Moines, IA costs $296,070 — about 3.8× 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 20% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where police & sheriff's patrol officers 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $145,340 | +85% | 2.8× |
| San Francisco, CA | $134,860 | +72% | 2.5× |
| Vallejo, CA | $125,130 | +60% | 1.9× |
| Santa Maria, CA | $118,140 | +51% | 2.6× |
Same job elsewhere in IA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Des Moines | Rent vs Des Moines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $68,760 | −12% | 1× |
| Davenport, IA | $67,590 | −14% | 0.8× |
Staying in IA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires police & sheriff's patrol officers around Des Moines
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- State of Iowa · Government
Other jobs in Des Moines
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 186 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.