SOC 11-9051 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro

Food Service Managers Salary in Des Moines, IA

The average salary for food service managers in Des Moines, Iowa is $70,610 a year ($33.95 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $66,860: half of the 410 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. average for this job ($74,880).

$70,610average per year

$33.95 / hourMedian $66,860Take-home ≈ $56,433

  • $47K10th
  • $57K25th
  • $67KMedian
  • $79K75th
  • $92K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

410people in this job
-6%vs U.S. average
#5 of 8Iowa metros
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
Advertisement

Food Service Managers pay range in Des Moines

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $47,440 a year or less, while the top 10% make $92,410 or more. The middle half of food service managers in Des Moines earn between $56,580 and $79,150.

  • $47K10th
  • $57K25th
  • $67KMedian
  • $79K75th
  • $92K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$70,610$5,884$33.95
Median$66,860$5,572$32.14
Entry level (25th percentile)$56,580$4,715$27.20
Experienced (75th percentile)$79,150$6,596$38.05

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

Food Service Managers pay in Des Moines vs. Iowa and the U.S.

Food service managers in Des Moines earn about the same as the Iowa average ($69,950) and 6% less than the U.S. average ($74,880). At the median the gap is -4% against the U.S. median of $69,390.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Des Moines$70,610$66,860$47,440$92,410410
Iowa$69,950$66,700$45,610$100,1701,760
United States$74,880$69,390$45,960$107,640238,430

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Food Service Managers salary after taxes in Des Moines

On the average salary of $70,610, a single filer in Des Moines takes home about $56,433 a year, or $4,703 a month and $2,170 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% 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.

Iowa paycheck calculator: try your own salary

Advertisement

Is Des Moines a good place for food service managers? 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 $70,610 buys what about $77,000 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Des Moines ($51,820). A typical home costs $296,070, or 4.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $70,610 is worth in another city

Food Service Managers salary in other Iowa cities

Des Moines ranks 5th of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job; Iowa City pays the most ($73,480).

All Food Service Managers salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for food service managers

Seattle, WA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($104,480).

Food Service Managers salary by city

Advertisement

Does this match what you are paid?

Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.

Share your pay anonymously

Reviewed before it counts. Food Service Managers in Des Moines, IA.

Food Service Managers salary in Des Moines: questions

How much do food service managers make an hour in Des Moines?

$33.95 an hour on average, and $32.15 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level food service managers salary in Des Moines?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $47,440 a year and the 25th percentile is $56,580, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the food service managers take-home pay in Des Moines?

About $56,433 a year ($4,703 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $70,610. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do food service managers earn more in Des Moines than elsewhere?

The average here is 6% less than the U.S. average for this job ($74,880).

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 11-9051; area Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (19780). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.5%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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 0.67, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.67).

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.