SOC 19-4071 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro

Forest and Conservation Technicians Salary in Des Moines, IA

The average salary for forest and conservation technicians in Des Moines, Iowa is $57,250 a year ($27.53 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $54,940: half of the 30 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 ($60,985).

$57,250average per year

$27.53 / hourMedian $54,940Take-home ≈ $46,617

  • $42K10th
  • $47K25th
  • $55KMedian
  • $63K75th
  • $84K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

30people in this job
-6%vs U.S. metro average
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Forest and Conservation Technicians pay range in Des Moines

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $41,750 a year or less, while the top 10% make $84,450 or more. The middle half of forest and conservation technicians in Des Moines earn between $46,530 and $63,060.

  • $42K10th
  • $47K25th
  • $55KMedian
  • $63K75th
  • $84K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$57,250$4,771$27.52
Median$54,940$4,578$26.41
Entry level (25th percentile)$46,530$3,878$22.37
Experienced (75th percentile)$63,060$5,255$30.32

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

Forest and Conservation Technicians salary after taxes in Des Moines

On the average salary of $57,250, a single filer in Des Moines takes home about $46,617 a year, or $3,885 a month and $1,793 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% 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 forest and conservation technicians? 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 $57,250 buys what about $62,431 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Des Moines ($51,820). A typical home costs $296,070, or 5.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $57,250 is worth in another city

Forest and Conservation Technicians salary in nearby metro areas

Highest-paying cities for forest and conservation technicians

Santa Rosa, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($77,010).

Forest and Conservation Technicians salary by city

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Forest and Conservation Technicians salary in Des Moines: questions

How much do forest and conservation technicians make an hour in Des Moines?

$27.53 an hour on average, and $26.41 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level forest and conservation technicians salary in Des Moines?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $41,750 a year and the 25th percentile is $46,530, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the forest and conservation technicians take-home pay in Des Moines?

About $46,617 a year ($3,885 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $57,250. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do forest and conservation technicians earn more in Des Moines than elsewhere?

The average here is 6% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($60,985).

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 19-4071; area Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (19780). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.1%.
  • 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 0.44, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.44).

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