SOC 41-2011 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro

Cashiers Salary in Des Moines, IA

The average salary for cashiers in Des Moines, Iowa is $31,500 a year ($15.14 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $29,640: half of the 8,720 people in this job in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 6% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($33,678).

$31,500average per year

$15.14 / hourMedian $29,640Take-home ≈ $26,905

  • $24K10th
  • $29K25th
  • $30KMedian
  • $36K75th
  • $38K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

8,720people in this job
-6%vs U.S. metro average
#2 of 8Iowa metros
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Cashiers pay range in Des Moines

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $24,140 a year or less, while the top 10% make $37,610 or more. The middle half of cashiers in Des Moines earn between $28,800 and $35,560.

  • $24K10th
  • $29K25th
  • $30KMedian
  • $36K75th
  • $38K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$31,500$2,625$15.14
Median$29,640$2,470$14.25
Entry level (25th percentile)$28,800$2,400$13.85
Experienced (75th percentile)$35,560$2,963$17.10

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Cashiers salary after taxes in Des Moines

On the average salary of $31,500, a single filer in Des Moines takes home about $26,905 a year, or $2,242 a month and $1,035 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

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Is Des Moines a good place for cashiers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Des Moines area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 91.7), so the average $31,500 buys what about $34,351 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Des Moines ($51,820). A typical home costs $296,070, or 9.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $31,500 is worth in another city

Cashiers salary in other Iowa cities

Des Moines ranks 2nd of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job; Davenport pays the most ($32,010).

All Cashiers salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for cashiers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($45,090).

Cashiers salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Cashiers in Des Moines, IA.

Cashiers salary in Des Moines: questions

How much do cashiers make an hour in Des Moines?

$15.14 an hour on average, and $14.25 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level cashiers salary in Des Moines?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $24,140 a year and the 25th percentile is $28,800, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the cashiers take-home pay in Des Moines?

About $26,905 a year ($2,242 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $31,500. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do cashiers earn more in Des Moines than elsewhere?

The average here is 6% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($33,678).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 41-2011; area Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (19780). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.7%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.09, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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