Family medicine physician salary in the Des Moines area
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA records $310,640 as the mean annual employee wage and $265,200 as the median for family medicine physicians in BLS May 2025 data. These are wage estimates, not a promised offer or total compensation.
Des Moines area wage snapshot
| Measure | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Mean annual wage | $310,640 |
| Median annual wage | $265,200 |
| Employment estimate | 250 |
| Wage relative standard error | 6.6% |
Employee wages annualized at 2,080 hours. Not total compensation, guaranteed pay or a salary range. RSE measures estimate uncertainty, not your pay spread.
View official BLS wage data for this areaWhat the Des Moines area row can tell you
BLS covers Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA as one metropolitan area. The published mean is $310,640, which is above the median of $265,200; BLS does not say why. The employment estimate of 250 counts employee jobs, not open positions. The wage relative standard error is 6.6%, which describes how uncertain the estimate is. It is not a pay percentile.
The Iowa state mean for family medicine physicians is $279,120, so this metro mean is 11.3% above the state figure. The metro is part of the state estimate, so the two overlap.
Metro figures cover wage and salary employees only. Locum, 1099 and per diem pay can look very different, and benefits, call pay and bonuses are not included. Compare a written offer on hours, scope and benefits instead of reading these two wages as a salary range.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. How Saile salary pages work.
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How Des Moines compares
Rank within this role group
Mean wage rank: 9 of 47; employment rank: 35 of 47. Rank = one plus metros with a larger estimate; ties share rank. This site’s group, not all US metros.
Versus highest-mean Knoxville ($383,670): $73,030 (19.0%) below; versus lowest-mean Birmingham ($171,790): $138,850 (80.8%) above.
Dollar gap = metro mean minus comparator mean; percent = difference divided by comparator, times 100. Absolute gaps shown.
National comparison
National BLS mean absent from project data; physician national gaps unavailable. Compensation surveys are not wage substitutes.
Same-state context
This is the only metro in this role group mapped to Iowa; see the Iowa state pay page.
Iowa mean: $279,120; employment: 1,140. Metro share = 250 divided by 1,140, multiplied by 100 = 21.9%. Overlapping estimates; multi-state ratios are not resident shares.
Same metro, other roles
Internal medicine physician mean in Des Moines: $165,690; Nurse practitioner mean in Des Moines: $138,820; Physician assistant mean in Des Moines: $137,940
What to check before using this number
The mean sits $45,440 (17.1%) above the $265,200 median; these are not salary-range endpoints.
This row's 6.6% RSE falls below the 8.5% group median; use it for estimate precision only.
This employment row is smaller than the 410 group median at 250; do not convert job counts into current vacancies.
Mean–median = mean minus median. Group median = middle sorted value (average of middle pair); unavailable RSE excluded.
Licensing in Iowa: physician state licensing guidance. Check the relevant board and facility for your role.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metro/state rows; wages, not total compensation.
Family medicine physician salary questions in the Des Moines area
What is the average family medicine physician salary in the Des Moines area?
BLS May 2025 estimates a mean annual employee wage of $310,640 and a median of $265,200 for family medicine physicians in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA. The mean is the average; the median is the midpoint. These are employee wages, not total compensation, a guaranteed offer or a salary range.
What is the hourly pay equivalent in the Des Moines area?
Dividing the annual wage estimates by 2,080 hours gives about $149.35 per hour for the mean and $127.50 for the median, rounded to cents. This is an arithmetic equivalent, not a quoted locums, per-diem or telemedicine rate.
How many family medicine physicians work in the Des Moines area?
BLS estimates 250 family medicine physicians employed as wage and salary employees in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA. This counts employee jobs, not open positions or current vacancies.
How does the Des Moines area pay compare with Iowa?
The Iowa state mean for family medicine physicians is $279,120, so this metro mean is 11.3% above the state figure. The metro is part of the state estimate, so the two overlap.
How reliable is this metro estimate?
The wage relative standard error for this row is 6.6%. RSE describes how uncertain the estimate is. It is not a pay percentile or a negotiating band.
Where does Des Moines rank for family medicine physician mean wages?
Des Moines ranks 9 of 47 by mean wage and 35 of 47 by employment in this site's role group. Rank = one plus metros with larger estimates; ties share rank. This is not every US metro.
Which other Iowa metros can I compare with Des Moines?
Des Moines is the only metro in this site's role group mapped to Iowa. The linked state page reports a $279,120 mean; a single listed metro does not mean the state has no other labor markets.
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