PublicPay

Federal employee salaries in Iowa

Full-time federal civilian employees with a published duty station in Iowa earned a median of $92,491 in September 2026, 16% below the all-federal median of $109,641. That ranks #38 of 51 (50 states and DC) by median pay.

Median pay
$92,491
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$67,243–$116,362
25th–75th percentile
Employees
7,075
with published duty station
Rank
#38
of 51 by median
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Iowa
All federal (full-time)

OPM withheld the duty-station location for 943,611 federal employees nationwide, including the entire Department of Defense civilian workforce and large parts of the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice. Those employees are not counted in any state, so state totals understate the federal presence, especially in states with large military installations.

Pay by occupation in Iowa

The 30 largest occupations in Iowa with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay (47 qualify in total).

Federal pay by occupation in Iowa
Occupation Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Nurse Series 0610 1,002 $109,220 $99,482–$122,961
Medical Officer Series 0602 341 $302,882 $263,184–$343,544
Medical Support Assistance Series 0679 302 $53,568 $49,055–$57,996
Soil Conservation Series 0457 221 $82,815 $69,954–$95,669
Consumer Safety Inspection Series 1862 219 $72,012 $65,718–$79,950
Social Work Series 0185 215 $98,636 $89,117–$111,651
Biological Science Technician Series 0404 185 $57,984 $47,870–$71,356
Pharmacist Series 0660 156 $156,718 $148,833–$175,540
Veterans Claims Examining Series 0996 149 $90,345 $77,168–$99,258
Human Resources Management Series 0201 147 $117,307 $108,282–$133,580
Social Insurance Administration Series 0105 147 $97,087 $84,344–$107,840
Miscellaneous Administration and Program Series 0301 135 $90,234 $74,981–$117,307
Management and Program Analysis Series 0343 131 $110,395 $92,146–$131,273
Miscellaneous Clerk and Assistant Series 0303 128 $55,957 $51,463–$59,269
Nursing Assistant Series 0621 123 $56,625 $51,540–$63,261
General Health Science Series 0601 116 $93,242 $85,325–$117,307
Information Technology Management Series 2210 116 $123,348 $104,008–$139,738
Practical Nurse Series 0620 112 $67,772 $62,984–$73,313
General Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences Series 0401 105 $96,250 $78,261–$118,031
Health Aid and Technician Series 0640 104 $57,188 $52,761–$62,102
Loan Specialist Series 1165 103 $92,491 $74,678–$101,443
Custodial Working Series 3566 102 $45,789 $43,076–$47,124
Air Traffic Control Series 2152 96 $98,369 $83,663–$109,685
Financial Institution Examining Series 0570 87 $147,077 $105,759–$185,383
Contact Representative Series 0962 87 $65,723 $57,040–$71,634
General Business and Industry Series 1101 84 $77,168 $65,838–$105,808
Veterinary Medical Science Series 0701 81 $121,608 $109,985–$149,146
Physical Therapist Series 0633 70 $114,284 $107,411–$125,912
Medical Technologist Series 0644 66 $115,516 $106,326–$136,087
Diagnostic Radiologic Technologist Series 0647 60 $99,001 $87,564–$108,605

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Pay by agency in Iowa

Federal pay by agency in Iowa
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Department of Veterans Affairs 4,282 $94,917 $64,210–$115,516
Department of Agriculture 1,600 $80,305 $66,372–$103,064
Department of Transportation 222 $105,274 $89,434–$126,303
Social Security Administration 218 $93,579 $74,678–$107,411
Department of Commerce 136 $122,556 $96,178–$152,160
Department of the Treasury 123 $78,628 $65,723–$113,763
Department of the Interior 112 $79,658 $56,336–$101,443
Department of Health and Human Services 92 $122,907 $110,228–$139,478
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 77 $147,077 $104,628–$190,336
Department of Homeland Security 65 $112,948 $88,672–$139,608
Department of Labor 32 $116,834 $98,506–$121,608

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Change since September 2025

The median moved +4.2% from $88,762 in September 2025 to $92,491 in September 2026. Headcount went from 7,847 to 7,075 (−9.8%). A change in the median reflects both pay adjustments and who joined or left the workforce, so it is not the same as a pay raise.

States with similar median federal pay

All states ranked →