SOC 33-9093 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro

Transportation Security Screeners Salary in Des Moines, IA

The average salary for transportation security screeners in Des Moines, Iowa is $57,350 a year ($27.57 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $61,590: half of the 110 people in this job in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 11% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($64,120).

$57,350average per year

$27.57 / hourMedian $61,590Take-home ≈ $46,693

  • $46K10th
  • $46K25th
  • $62KMedian
  • $64K75th
  • $68K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

110people in this job
-11%vs U.S. metro average
#2 of 3Iowa metros
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Transportation Security Screeners pay range in Des Moines

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $46,010 a year or less, while the top 10% make $67,770 or more. The middle half of transportation security screeners in Des Moines earn between $46,010 and $63,650.

  • $46K10th
  • $46K25th
  • $62KMedian
  • $64K75th
  • $68K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$57,350$4,779$27.57
Median$61,590$5,132$29.61
Entry level (25th percentile)$46,010$3,834$22.12
Experienced (75th percentile)$63,650$5,304$30.60

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

Transportation Security Screeners salary after taxes in Des Moines

On the average salary of $57,350, a single filer in Des Moines takes home about $46,693 a year, or $3,891 a month and $1,796 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 transportation security screeners? 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 $57,350 buys what about $62,540 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 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 $57,350 is worth in another city

Transportation Security Screeners salary in other Iowa cities

Des Moines ranks 2nd of 3 Iowa metro areas for this job; Davenport pays the most ($63,170).

All Transportation Security Screeners salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for transportation security screeners

Allentown, PA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($78,620).

Transportation Security Screeners salary by city

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Transportation Security Screeners salary in Des Moines: questions

How much do transportation security screeners make an hour in Des Moines?

$27.57 an hour on average, and $29.61 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level transportation security screeners salary in Des Moines?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $46,010 a year and the 25th percentile is $46,010, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the transportation security screeners take-home pay in Des Moines?

About $46,693 a year ($3,891 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $57,350. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do transportation security screeners earn more in Des Moines than elsewhere?

The average here is 11% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($64,120).

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 33-9093; area Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (19780). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.0%.
  • 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 0.81, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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