Physician assistant salary in the Des Moines area
For physician assistants, the BLS May 2025 row in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA lists a $137,940 mean annual employee wage and a $133,830 median. These are wage estimates, not a promised offer or total compensation.
Des Moines area wage snapshot
| Measure | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Mean annual wage | $137,940 |
| Median annual wage | $133,830 |
| Employment estimate | 340 |
| Wage relative standard error | 2.7% |
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 $137,940, which is above the median of $133,830; BLS does not say why. The employment estimate of 340 counts employee jobs, not open positions. The wage relative standard error is 2.7%, which describes how uncertain the estimate is. It is not a pay percentile.
The Iowa state mean for physician assistants is $139,870, so this metro mean is 1.4% below 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: 22 of 50; employment rank: 45 of 50. Rank = one plus metros with a larger estimate; ties share rank. This site’s group, not all US metros.
Versus highest-mean New York City ($163,570): $25,630 (15.7%) below; versus lowest-mean Birmingham ($108,080): $29,860 (27.6%) above.
Dollar gap = metro mean minus comparator mean; percent = difference divided by comparator, times 100. Absolute gaps shown.
National comparison
BLS OEWS national mean: $141,280; Des Moines is $3,340 (2.4%) below it, using the same gap formulas.
Same-state context
This is the only metro in this role group mapped to Iowa; see the Iowa state pay page.
Iowa mean: $139,870; employment: 1,200. Metro share = 340 divided by 1,200, multiplied by 100 = 28.3%. Overlapping estimates; multi-state ratios are not resident shares.
Same metro, other roles
Family medicine physician mean in Des Moines: $310,640; Internal medicine physician mean in Des Moines: $165,690; Nurse practitioner mean in Des Moines: $138,820
What to check before using this number
Mean minus median is $4,110; Des Moines's midpoint is $133,830, not a guaranteed offer.
At 2.7%, wage RSE is above the 2.3% group median, without explaining differences between jobs.
The 945 group median puts 340 employee jobs in context; below-median employment is not evidence of live hiring.
Mean–median = mean minus median. Group median = middle sorted value (average of middle pair); unavailable RSE excluded.
Licensing in Iowa: physician state licensing guidance; PA Compact guidance. Check the relevant board and facility for your role.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metro/state rows; wages, not total compensation.
Physician assistant salary questions in the Des Moines area
What is the average physician assistant salary in the Des Moines area?
BLS May 2025 estimates a mean annual employee wage of $137,940 and a median of $133,830 for physician assistants 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 $66.32 per hour for the mean and $64.34 for the median, rounded to cents. This is an arithmetic equivalent, not a quoted locums, per-diem or telemedicine rate.
How many physician assistants work in the Des Moines area?
BLS estimates 340 physician assistants 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 physician assistants is $139,870, so this metro mean is 1.4% below 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 2.7%. RSE describes how uncertain the estimate is. It is not a pay percentile or a negotiating band.
Where does Des Moines rank for physician assistant mean wages?
Des Moines ranks 22 of 50 by mean wage and 45 of 50 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 $139,870 mean; a single listed metro does not mean the state has no other labor markets.
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