Career Atlas USA

Careers in Iowa

Iowa’s regional price level is below the national average (index 87.762, where 100 = U.S. average, 2024 BEA data).

Unemployment rate: 3.4% · Labor force participation: 67.3% · 1,670,647 people employed (2026-07, BLS LAUS, not seasonally adjusted).

Highest-Paying Careers

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  1. 1Emergency Medicine Physicians$429,050
  2. 2Dermatologists$424,970
  3. 3Radiologists$405,220
  4. 4Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric$394,900
  5. 5Surgeons, All Other$370,390

Largest Occupations

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  1. 1Cashiers41,450 employed
  2. 2Retail Salespersons41,000 employed
  3. 3Fast Food and Counter Workers40,290 employed
  4. 4Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers35,040 employed
  5. 5Registered Nurses34,420 employed

Highest Concentration

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  1. 1Wind Turbine Service Technicians8.97× national avg
  2. 2Food Processing Workers, All Other8.00× national avg
  3. 3Motion Picture Projectionists6.66× national avg
  4. 4Agricultural Engineers6.56× national avg
  5. 5Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic6.32× national avg

Best Purchasing Power

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cost-of-living adjusted

  1. 1Emergency Medicine Physicians$488,879
  2. 2Dermatologists$484,230
  3. 3Radiologists$461,726
  4. 4Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric$449,967
  5. 5Surgeons, All Other$422,039

Strongest Opportunity Score

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  1. 1Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders96.8 / 100
  2. 2Wind Turbine Service Technicians95.8 / 100
  3. 3Food Processing Workers, All Other94.1 / 100
  4. 4Food Batchmakers93.9 / 100
  5. 5Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers93.8 / 100

Sources

Wage and employment data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities. Unemployment rate: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS). Opportunity Score is a Career Atlas USA calculation — see methodology.