SOC 37-3011 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro

Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers Salary in Des Moines, IA

The average salary for landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Des Moines, Iowa is $43,500 a year ($20.92 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $45,180: half of the 2,230 people in this job in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($42,290).

$43,500average per year

$20.92 / hourMedian $45,180Take-home ≈ $36,091

  • $30K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $45KMedian
  • $48K75th
  • $59K90th

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

2,230people in this job
+3%vs U.S. average
#2 of 8Iowa metros
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers pay range in Des Moines

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,020 a year or less, while the top 10% make $58,980 or more. The middle half of landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Des Moines earn between $36,040 and $47,690.

  • $30K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $45KMedian
  • $48K75th
  • $59K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$43,500$3,625$20.91
Median$45,180$3,765$21.72
Entry level (25th percentile)$36,040$3,003$17.33
Experienced (75th percentile)$47,690$3,974$22.93

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

Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers pay in Des Moines vs. Iowa and the U.S.

Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Des Moines earn 5% more than the Iowa average ($41,260) and about the same as the U.S. average ($42,290). At the median the gap is +15% against the U.S. median of $39,150.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Des Moines$43,500$45,180$30,020$58,9802,230
Iowa$41,260$38,920$28,480$58,4208,800
United States$42,290$39,150$31,150$56,730952,640

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

Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers salary after taxes in Des Moines

On the average salary of $43,500, a single filer in Des Moines takes home about $36,091 a year, or $3,008 a month and $1,388 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% 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 landscaping and groundskeeping workers? 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 $43,500 buys what about $47,437 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Des Moines ($51,820). A typical home costs $296,070, or 6.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $43,500 is worth in another city

Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers salary in other Iowa cities

Des Moines ranks 2nd of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job; Ames pays the most ($43,580).

All Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for landscaping and groundskeeping workers

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($54,470).

Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers salary by city

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Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers salary in Des Moines: questions

How much do landscaping and groundskeeping workers make an hour in Des Moines?

$20.92 an hour on average, and $21.72 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level landscaping and groundskeeping workers salary in Des Moines?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,020 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,040, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the landscaping and groundskeeping workers take-home pay in Des Moines?

About $36,091 a year ($3,008 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $43,500. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn more in Des Moines than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($42,290).

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 37-3011; area Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (19780). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.2%.
  • 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 0.90, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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