SOC 11-3111

Compensation and Benefits Managers Salary in Des Moines Metro, IA

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + IA
COL Index: 103.9 (+3.9% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 68.1% Realized
$102,757 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $150,850 $72.52/hr
Effective Tax Drag 25.88% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 24% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$39,042 $1,501.63/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $72.52 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$9,051/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$2,172/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$22,766
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$9,353
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$2,187
Iowa Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$4,737
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$102,757 ($3,952.18 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA Compensation and Benefits Managers Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $150,850
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $94.9k 25th $108k Median: $150,850 50th (Median) $151k 75th $191k 90th $216k You: $150,850
10th (Entry) $94,940 $45.64/hr
25th (Junior) $108,120 $51.98/hr
50th (Median) $150,850 $72.52/hr
75th (Senior) $191,290 $91.97/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $215,700 $103.70/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Compensation and Benefits Managers in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
1
Compensation & Benefits AnalystBachelor's degree (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$90,168$43.35/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Senior Analyst, Total RewardsDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities
$114,429$55.01/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Compensation & Benefits ManagerFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team
$150,820$72.51/hr · 5-9 Years
4
Senior Manager, Total RewardsOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$202,778$97.49/hr · 9-14 Years
5
Director of Total RewardsExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$259,386$124.70/hr · 14+ Years
Scaled to the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA medianView National Compensation and Benefits Managers Salary Data
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists-$71,020/yr
National median: $78,210
Skill overlap: 96%
Human Resources Specialists-$73,290/yr
National median: $75,940
Skill overlap: 93%
Labor Relations Specialists-$53,810/yr
National median: $95,420
Skill overlap: 93%
Human Resources Managers+$50/yr
National median: $149,280
Skill overlap: 89%View Salary
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
13% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,145/month Requires minimum annual gross of $45,800
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,360/month Requires minimum annual gross of $54,400
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $22.98/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $20.03/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$150,850-$39,042$102,757$3,952.18
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$179,134-$48,597$119,789$4,607.27
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$207,419-$56,798$138,175$5,314.44
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$235,703-$65,149$156,412$6,015.84
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$263,988-$75,332$172,816$6,646.78
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

Compensation and Benefits Managers in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and Iowa tax codes.

Market Baseline
$150,850/yr
$72.52/hr · SOC 11-3111
Statutory Tax Drag
25.88% Effective
-$39,042 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
13% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$7,418/mo
Post-$1,145/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 11-3111
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

Compensation and Benefits Managers in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA: Market Snapshot

Compensation and Benefits Managers roles in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA report a median annual wage of $150,850, 1.1% above the national median of $149,230. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $94,940 to $215,700, and HUD’s $1,145 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 9.1% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $22.98 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Compensation and Benefits Managers

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR$221,800+47.0%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$218,860+45.1%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$216,580+43.6%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$215,180+42.6%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$188,850+25.2%
Trenton-Princeton, NJ$186,700+23.8%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$185,590+23.0%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$179,730+19.1%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$171,950+14.0%
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$168,850+11.9%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$290,870$139.84/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$164,840$79.25/hr
Financial Manager$154,140$74.11/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$148,330$71.31/hr
Human Resources Managers$138,140$66.41/hr
Sales Managers$136,570$65.66/hr
Marketing Managers$135,140$64.97/hr
Physician Assistant$133,830$64.34/hr
Nurse Practitioner$132,230$63.57/hr
Actuary$130,540$62.76/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 90 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

Compensation and Benefits Managers Salary in Des Moines Metro, IA Overview

Compensation & Benefits Managers median pay in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is $150,850 a year ($72.52/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage. Official 2026 economic data for Compensation and Benefits Managers in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Compensation and Benefits Managers in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

The median annual wage is $150,850 ($72.52 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $94,940 and $215,700. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Compensation and Benefits Managers in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA after taxes?

On the median wage of $150,850, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $109,291 a year ($9,108 a month) after $41,559 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 27.55%, using 2026 tax rules.