Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
The highest paying job in Iowa is Emergency Medicine Physicians, with a median salary of $429,050 per year. Below is the complete ranking of the top 25 careers in IA based on 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025
See how Iowa compares to other states. Click any state for its top-paying jobs.
Ranked by median annual salary. Click any job to see the full salary breakdown including percentile data and state-by-state comparisons.
| Rank | Occupation | Median Salary | Mean Salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | $429,050 | $401,640 | 290 |
| 2 | Dermatologists | $424,970 | $365,140 | N/A |
| 3 | Radiologists | $405,220 | $344,000 | 130 |
| 4 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $394,900 | $352,380 | 90 |
| 5 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $356,020 | $311,940 | 180 |
| 6 | Physicians, Pathologists | $323,460 | $289,700 | 80 |
| 7 | Psychiatrists | $295,270 | $273,190 | 170 |
| 8 | Cardiologists | $283,070 | $306,670 | 100 |
| 9 | Nurse Anesthetists | $273,070 | $253,510 | 380 |
| 10 | Family Medicine Physicians | $265,200 | $279,120 | 1,140 |
| 11 | Pediatricians, General | $262,440 | $221,690 | 230 |
| 12 | Chief Executives | $211,190 | $237,270 | 3,050 |
| 13 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $189,410 | $294,930 | 260 |
| 14 | Dentists, General | $181,520 | $198,470 | 1,240 |
| 15 | Physicists | $178,110 | $176,230 | 110 |
| 16 | Law Teachers, Postsecondary | $160,700 | $151,300 | 90 |
| 17 | Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $147,510 | $113,160 | 410 |
| 18 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $147,320 | $153,060 | 1,520 |
| 19 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $143,780 | $154,640 | 3,920 |
| 20 | Pharmacists | $138,860 | $138,340 | 3,230 |
| 21 | Podiatrists | $134,830 | $155,340 | 100 |
| 22 | Physician Assistants | $134,770 | $139,870 | 1,200 |
| 23 | Sales Managers | $134,010 | $147,720 | 3,260 |
| 24 | Financial Managers | $133,320 | $149,730 | 9,130 |
| 25 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $131,730 | $144,660 | 100 |
The top-paying careers in Iowa are concentrated in Healthcare Practitioners fields. The #1 job, Emergency Medicine Physicians, pays $358,140 more than the state average of $70,909 per year.
At the 90th percentile, experienced Emergency Medicine Physicians professionals in IA can earn up to $550,050 annually — making it one of the most lucrative career paths in the state.
Among the top 25, the minimum median salary is $131,730, meaning all jobs on this list pay significantly above the national average.
See how Iowa's top salaries compare to other states.
Rankings are based on median annual salary from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 estimates. We use median rather than mean salary because it better represents typical earnings and is less affected by outliers.
Only occupations with state-level data published by BLS are included. Some specialized or rare occupations may not have data for every state. For full methodology details, see our Methodology page.