Real Estate Sales Agents salary in Des Moines, IA

Median pay for real estate sales agents in Des Moines, IA: $52,260/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $47,060 – $72,020 · about 410 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($50,020) by +$2,240 (+4%).

What it's really worth in Des Moines

With Des Moines's cost of living at 93 (US=100), that $52,260 has the buying power of about $56,344 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 72nd of the 167 metros we hold real estate sales agents wages for. Once Des Moines's cost of living is applied, it ranks 59th.

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 5.7× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.

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

Where real estate sales agents 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
New York, NY	$103,960	+99%	2.7×
Buffalo, NY	$83,670	+60%	1.1×
Rochester, NY	$83,200	+59%	1.2×
Seattle, WA	$80,950	+55%	1.7×

Same job elsewhere in IA

Metro	Median pay	vs Des Moines	Rent vs Des Moines
Davenport, IA	$72,450	+39%	0.8×
Cedar Rapids, IA	$48,240	−8%	1×

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

Who hires real estate sales agents around Des Moines

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• Principal Financial Group · Finance
• Wells Fargo Home Mortgage · Finance

Other jobs in Des Moines