Interpreters and Translators pay range in Des Moines
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,850 a year or less, while the top 10% make $75,260 or more. The middle half of interpreters and translators in Des Moines earn between $47,830 and $63,590.
- $37K10th
- $48K25th
- $55KMedian
- $64K75th
- $75K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $55,750 | $4,646 | $26.80 |
| Median | $55,400 | $4,617 | $26.63 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $47,830 | $3,986 | $23.00 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $63,590 | $5,299 | $30.57 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Interpreters and Translators salary after taxes in Des Moines
On the average salary of $55,750, a single filer in Des Moines takes home about $45,468 a year, or $3,789 a month and $1,749 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% 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.
Is Des Moines a good place for interpreters and translators? 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 $55,750 buys what about $60,795 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 5.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Interpreters and Translators salary in other Iowa cities
Des Moines ranks 1st of 5 Iowa metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Des Moines$55,750
- Cedar Rapids$51,740
- Davenport$51,560
- Sioux City$48,780
- Waterloo$44,890
Highest-paying cities for interpreters and translators
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($93,650).
- San Jose, CA$93,650
- Washington, DC$93,460
- Santa Maria, CA$92,880
- New York, NY$91,110
- San Francisco, CA$90,940
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Interpreters and Translators salary in Des Moines: questions
How much do interpreters and translators make an hour in Des Moines?
$26.80 an hour on average, and $26.63 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level interpreters and translators salary in Des Moines?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,850 a year and the 25th percentile is $47,830, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the interpreters and translators take-home pay in Des Moines?
About $45,468 a year ($3,789 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $55,750. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
Do interpreters and translators earn more in Des Moines than elsewhere?
The average here is 18% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($67,848).
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 27-3091; area Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (19780). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.6%.
- 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 0.89, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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