SOC 25-2031 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education — Iowa
Iowa · 8 metro areas compared
The median wage for Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education in Iowa is $61,200 per year, 15.0% below the national median of $72,040.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
Salary overview
The median wage for Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education in Iowa is $61,200 per year, 15.0% below the national median of $72,040. Pay ranges from under $47,480 at the tenth percentile to more than $79,270 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $49,390 to $73,970.
Employment stands at 12,310, or 7.9 jobs per thousand held locally. Among the 51 states with published data for this occupation, Iowa ranks 39th by median wage. Ames leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $63,450. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 305th of 711 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $47,480 | −34.1% |
| 25th | $49,390 | −31.4% |
| Median (50th) | $61,200 | −15.0% |
| 75th | $73,970 | +2.7% |
| 90th | $79,270 | +10.0% |
| Mean | $61,860 | −14.1% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Iowa
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ames | $63,450 | 310 | |
| 2 | Des Moines | $62,480 | 2,660 | |
| 3 | Iowa City | $62,100 | 590 | |
| 4 | Davenport | $61,960 | 1,170 | |
| 5 | Cedar Rapids | $61,780 | 1,280 | |
| 6 | Sioux City | $60,510 | 460 | |
| 7 | Waterloo | $60,440 | 660 | |
| 8 | Dubuque | $60,200 | 350 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Iowa run 12.2% below the national average, so the median of $61,200 goes as far as $69,704 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 3.2% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$61,200as reported by BLSLocal price level
87.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$69,704US average = 100 · BEA 2024Key takeaways
- Median pay is $61,200 a year, 15.0% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $47,480 to $79,270 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 12,310 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 39th of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Ames, at $63,450.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education in Iowa?
The median annual wage is $61,200, 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 $72,040, so pay in Iowa is 15.0% 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 $79,270 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $47,480 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 Ames, at $63,450 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 12,310 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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