SOC 49-3042 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines — Iowa
Iowa · 8 metro areas compared
At $64,290, median pay for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines in Iowa tracks the national median of $65,510 closely.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +5.8%
- Openings per year
- 16,500
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Iowa.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
At $64,290, median pay for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines in Iowa tracks the national median of $65,510 closely. Pay ranges from under $47,880 at the tenth percentile to more than $85,070 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $57,250 to $78,430.
The area has 2,820 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 1.59 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Iowa ranks number 28th out of 51 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Sioux City records the highest median at $71,430. Of the 711 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 270th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $47,880 | −26.9% |
| 25th | $57,250 | −12.6% |
| Median (50th) | $64,290 | −1.9% |
| 75th | $78,430 | +19.7% |
| 90th | $85,070 | +29.9% |
| Mean | $66,530 | +1.6% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Iowa
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sioux City | $71,430 | 150 | |
| 2 | Davenport | $68,210 | 240 | |
| 3 | Cedar Rapids | $66,570 | 280 | |
| 4 | Des Moines | $65,810 | 760 | |
| 5 | Waterloo | $65,380 | 190 | |
| 6 | Ames | $64,940 | 80 | |
| 7 | Dubuque | $64,040 | 100 | |
| 8 | Iowa City | $63,740 | 70 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Iowa run 12.2% below the national average, so the median of $64,290 goes as far as $73,223 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 11.8% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$64,290as reported by BLSLocal price level
87.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$73,223US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $64,290 a year, 1.9% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $47,880 to $85,070 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 2,820 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 28th of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Sioux City, at $71,430.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines in Iowa?
The median annual wage is $64,290, or $30.91 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $65,510, so pay in Iowa is 1.9% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Iowa earns more than $85,070 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $47,880 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Sioux City, at $71,430 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 2,820 jobs in this occupation in Iowa. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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