SOC 15-1243

Data Engineer Salary in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (2026)

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 70.0% Realized
$84,018 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $120,030 $57.71/hr
Effective Tax Drag 24% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$28,810 $1,108.08/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 $57.71 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$7,202/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,584/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$15,992
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$7,442
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,740
Iowa Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$3,636
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$84,018 ($3,231.46 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA Data Engineer Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $120,030
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $76.3k 25th $98.3k Median: $120,030 50th (Median) $120k 75th $143k 90th $153k You: $120,030
10th (Entry) $76,320 $36.69/hr
25th (Junior) $98,330 $47.27/hr
50th (Median) $120,030 $57.71/hr
75th (Senior) $143,160 $68.83/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $153,090 $73.60/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Data Engineer in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
1
Associate Data EngineerPython, SQL, ETL scripting, data warehouse basics
$76,578$36.82/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Data EngineerSpark, Kafka, dbt, columnar storage optimization, orchestration
$113,577$54.60/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Data EngineerReal-time stream architecture, lakehouse design, data quality frameworks
$144,552$69.50/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Staff Data ArchitectEnterprise data platform strategy, distributed storage scaling
$176,388$84.80/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA medianView National Data Engineer Salary Data
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)
16% 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$120,030-$28,810$84,018$3,231.46
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$142,536-$36,234$97,750$3,759.61
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$165,041-$43,836$111,302$4,280.86
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$187,547-$51,250$125,044$4,809.37
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$210,053-$57,548$139,901$5,380.81
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

Data Engineer 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
$120,030/yr
$57.71/hr · SOC 15-1243
Statutory Tax Drag
24% Effective
-$28,810 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
16% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$5,857/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 15-1243
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

Data Engineer in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA: Market Snapshot

Data Engineer roles in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA report a median annual wage of $120,030, 14.0% below the national median of $139,500. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $76,320 to $153,090, and HUD’s $1,145 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 11.4% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $22.98 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Data Engineer

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$197,960+64.9%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$175,860+46.5%
Reno, NV$170,390+42.0%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$169,310+41.1%
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$168,390+40.3%
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$163,590+36.3%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$163,350+36.1%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$162,870+35.7%
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$162,640+35.5%
Springfield, MA$161,730+34.7%

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
Compensation and Benefits Managers$150,850$72.52/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

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 132 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.

Data Engineer Salary in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (2026) Overview

Data Engineer median pay in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is $120,030 a year ($57.71/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Data Engineer in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

The median annual wage is $120,030 ($57.71 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $76,320 and $153,090. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Data Engineer in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA after taxes?

On the median wage of $120,030, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $89,362 a year ($7,447 a month) after $30,668 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 25.55%, using 2026 tax rules.