SOC 15-1243 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro

Database Architects Salary in Des Moines, IA

The average salary for database architects in Des Moines, Iowa is $120,240 a year ($57.81 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $120,030: half of the 140 people in this job in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 17% less than the U.S. average for this job ($144,440).

$120,240average per year

$57.81 / hourMedian $120,030Take-home ≈ $89,462

  • $76K10th
  • $98K25th
  • $120KMedian
  • $143K75th
  • $153K90th

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

140people in this job
-17%vs U.S. average
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Database Architects pay range in Des Moines

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $76,320 a year or less, while the top 10% make $153,090 or more. The middle half of database architects in Des Moines earn between $98,330 and $143,160.

  • $76K10th
  • $98K25th
  • $120KMedian
  • $143K75th
  • $153K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$120,240$10,020$57.81
Median$120,030$10,002$57.71
Entry level (25th percentile)$98,330$8,194$47.27
Experienced (75th percentile)$143,160$11,930$68.83

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

Database Architects pay in Des Moines vs. Iowa and the U.S.

Database architects in Des Moines earn about the same as the Iowa average ($122,810) and 17% less than the U.S. average ($144,440). At the median the gap is -14% against the U.S. median of $139,500.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Des Moines$120,240$120,030$76,320$153,090140
Iowa$122,810$124,040$78,660$159,790240
United States$144,440$139,500$86,240$204,00067,140

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

Database Architects salary after taxes in Des Moines

On the average salary of $120,240, a single filer in Des Moines takes home about $89,462 a year, or $7,455 a month and $3,441 every two weeks. Taxes take 26% 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

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Is Des Moines a good place for database architects? 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 $120,240 buys what about $131,122 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Des Moines ($51,820). A typical home costs $296,070, or 2.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $120,240 is worth in another city

Database Architects salary in nearby metro areas

Highest-paying cities for database architects

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($198,740).

Database Architects salary by city

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Database Architects salary in Des Moines: questions

How much do database architects make an hour in Des Moines?

$57.81 an hour on average, and $57.71 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level database architects salary in Des Moines?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $76,320 a year and the 25th percentile is $98,330, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the database architects take-home pay in Des Moines?

About $89,462 a year ($7,455 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $120,240. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do database architects earn more in Des Moines than elsewhere?

The average here is 17% less than the U.S. average for this job ($144,440).

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 15-1243; area Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (19780). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.8%.
  • 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 0.79, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.79).

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