Provide high-level administrative support to senior executives. Median salary in Des Moines: $65K/year. Data from BLS, O*NET, and H-1B disclosures.
Figures represent annual base salary in Des Moines, Iowa. Reviewed by SalaryOptics Editorial · How we calculate this →
Analysis derived from the salary, COL, tax, and labor-market figures above — specific to this role and city.
Executive Assistants in Des Moines earn approximately 4% lower than the US national median for this role — a $3,000 discount on annual base salary. Des Moines's lower wage level partially reflects the area's cost-of-living index of 88 (US avg = 100).
Adjusted for Des Moines's cost-of-living index (88), the median Executive Assistant salary buys the equivalent of $73,864 in a US-average-cost city. That's $5,864 more purchasing power than the national median — a meaningful real-wage advantage.
Average 1-bedroom rent in Des Moines ($1,150/mo) consumes approximately 32% of an after-tax median Executive Assistant salary. Financial planners typically recommend keeping housing under 30% of take-home — a salary at the 75th percentile ($84K) brings that ratio into a more comfortable range here.
Based on BLS 2022–2032 Employment Projections and WEF Future of Jobs Report 2026. At current growth rates, median salary reaches $65K by 2030.
Enter your email for free access. We'll send salary market updates — unsubscribe anytime.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
The median Executive Assistant salary in Des Moines, IA is $65,000 per year as of Q1 2026. This figure represents the midpoint of all reported compensation for this role in the Des Moines–IA metropolitan area, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics, H-1B visa disclosures from the Department of Labor, and O*NET occupational data.
Entry-level Executive Assistants in Des Moines with 0–2 years of experience typically earn between $49,000 and $65,000 annually. Mid-career professionals with 3–7 years command $65,000 to $84,000, while senior-level practitioners with 8+ years of experience regularly earn $84,000 to $106,000 or more.
Des Moines has a cost of living index of 88 compared to the US national average of 100. This means your salary goes approximately 12% further in Des Moines than the national average. Iowa has a 4.82% state income tax rate.
Bachelor's or Associate's; experience required. 35% of these roles offer some remote flexibility.