Is Iowa a good state for your salary to go far?

Iowa ranks #9 of 51 states on the Gera US Real Pay Index, with a mean index of 103.9 across 371 occupations (100 = the average state). Its 2024 BEA cost of living is 87.8 (US = 100), and its 2025 state income tax schedule is applied to each occupation's median wage.

What is the cost of living in Iowa?

Iowa's Regional Price Parity (All Items) for 2024 is 87.8, where the US average is 100. That is at or below the national average, so a dollar buys as much as or more than it does nationally. The Gera US Real Pay Index divides take-home pay by this figure to express salaries in purchasing-power-equivalent dollars.

GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Iowa

Where Your Salary Goes Furthest in Iowa

Iowa ranks #9 of 51 states on the Gera US Real Pay Index (mean 103.9, base = 100). Cost of living 87.8 (US = 100); top income tax 3.80%.

Does a salary go further in Iowa? (cost of living + state tax)

In Iowa, the cost of living is 87.8 on the BEA index (US = 100) and the Gera US Real Pay Index averages 103.9 across 371 occupations, ranking it #9 of 51 states for how far pay goes after 2025 state income tax and 2024 BEA cost of living. Real BLS OEWS; re-dated annually.

Source:U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)·As of May 2025 state estimates · updated annually · last refreshed 19 June 2026

Gera US Real Pay Index

Iowa ranks #9 of 51 states. Mean across 371 occupations; 100 = the average state, 103.9 means pay goes 3.9% further after tax and cost of living.

How this is calculated

103.9

Real pay by occupation in Iowa (best first)

Occupation	BLS median	Real pay	Index
Driver/Sales Workers	$47,120	$51,696	137.4
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	$128,490	$140,889	134.2
Pediatricians, General	$262,440	$287,718	134.0
Manicurists and Pedicurists	$45,420	$49,833	133.6
Property Appraisers and Assessors	$80,160	$87,913	131.5
Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars	$80,600	$88,395	131.3
Food Batchmakers	$48,300	$52,989	128.8
Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other	$48,300	$52,989	128.6
Health Education Specialists	$75,750	$83,079	126.6
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs	$61,340	$67,283	126.5
Social Workers, All Other	$91,170	$99,981	126.1
Highway Maintenance Workers	$58,490	$64,159	125.5
Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners	$57,980	$63,600	125.0
Parts Salespersons	$46,670	$51,203	124.3
Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians	$72,540	$79,560	122.7
Helpers--Production Workers	$45,560	$49,986	121.8
Structural Iron and Steel Workers	$77,400	$84,887	121.8
Medical Transcriptionists	$45,010	$49,383	121.2
Loan Officers	$83,670	$91,760	120.8
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators	$48,920	$53,669	120.4
Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other	$51,700	$56,716	120.4
File Clerks	$46,560	$51,082	120.1
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers	$43,190	$47,388	119.7
Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door	$83,830	$91,936	119.4
Brickmasons and Blockmasons	$69,440	$76,162	118.2
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers	$89,640	$98,304	117.6
Crossing Guards and Flaggers	$41,240	$45,251	117.6
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders	$45,660	$50,096	116.6
English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary	$79,720	$87,430	116.3
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks	$47,590	$52,211	116.2
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers	$63,750	$69,925	116.2
Public Safety Telecommunicators	$56,770	$62,274	116.1
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand	$43,490	$47,717	115.9
Surveying and Mapping Technicians	$58,950	$64,663	115.8
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators	$61,110	$67,031	115.7
Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians	$78,850	$86,477	115.4
Customer Service Representatives	$46,090	$50,567	115.0
Physicians, All Other	$295,190	$323,617	114.8
Data Entry Keyers	$43,640	$47,881	114.7
Packers and Packagers, Hand	$37,470	$41,118	114.6

Showing the 40 highest real-pay occupations of 371 BLS publishes for Iowa. Real pay = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the 2024 BEA cost of living (87.8, US = 100).

Where does your salary go furthest?

Enter a salary and a state. We adjust for 2025 state income tax and the 2024 BEA cost of living to show your real, purchasing-power-equivalent pay — then rank every state.

Gross annual salary (USD)Compare against state

In Iowa, a $85,000 salary is worth about $93,172 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.

State income tax $3,230 (flat 3.80%) · take-home $81,770 · BEA cost of living 87.8 (US = 100).

The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $95,952, a $2,780 gain over Iowa.

#	State	Real value	Cost (RPP)
1	South Dakota	$95,952	88.6
2	Arkansas	$93,959	86.9
3	Louisiana	$93,473	88.2
4	Mississippi	$93,453	87.0
5	Iowa	$93,172	87.8
6	North Dakota	$93,161	89.0
7	Tennessee	$92,522	91.9
8	Oklahoma	$92,167	87.8
9	Wyoming	$91,703	92.7
10	Alabama	$90,911	88.8
11	Kentucky	$90,507	90.2
12	West Virginia	$90,397	89.5

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Estimate only. State income tax is approximated from each state's 2025 flat rate (or top marginal rate as an upper bound for graduated states) and ignores federal tax, deductions and credits. The pre-published occupation and state pages use exact 2025 bracket math. Cost of living is the 2024 BEA Regional Price Parity (All Items).

Iowa real pay — FAQ

Is Iowa a good state for your salary to go far?: Iowa ranks #9 of 51 states on the Gera US Real Pay Index, with a mean index of 103.9 across 371 occupations (100 = the average state). Its 2024 BEA cost of living is 87.8 (US = 100), and its 2025 state income tax schedule is applied to each occupation's median wage.
What is the cost of living in Iowa?: Iowa's Regional Price Parity (All Items) for 2024 is 87.8, where the US average is 100. That is at or below the national average, so a dollar buys as much as or more than it does nationally. The Gera US Real Pay Index divides take-home pay by this figure to express salaries in purchasing-power-equivalent dollars.

Compare other states

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Related on GeraJobs

Gera US Real Pay Index — all states ranked
Methodology — the exact BLS + BEA + tax computation.
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Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 state estimates); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (All Items), by state (2024 (US = 100)); Tax Foundation — 2025 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. The Gera US Real Pay Index for Iowa is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.