How much do Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

Percentile spread

For Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders, the published 10th percentile is $39,040 and the 90th percentile is $62,080. The difference is $23,040, which is 46.3% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $44,840 to the 75th at $58,670, covers $13,830.

The mean annual wage is $49,380, which sits below the median of $49,780. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA median is 11.1% higher than the national median of $44,810 for Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders. In 2024 national prices the local median is $54,285, which is 21.1% higher than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 3.8% higher than the Iowa median of $47,960.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is 91.701, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $49,780 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders at $54,285 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

4 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders. Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA ranks 2nd of 5 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Omaha, NE-IA is 118 miles away, with a median of $43,410 and employment of 380. That median is 12.8% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $47,230, against $54,285 here.
• St. Joseph, MO-KS is 132 miles away, with a median of $47,440 and employment of 90. That median is 4.7% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $54,919, against $54,285 here.
• Sioux City, IA-NE-SD is 146 miles away, with a median of $52,650 and employment of 60. That median is 5.8% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $60,899, against $54,285 here.

Employment share

Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders accounts for 0.01% of wage-and-salary employment in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (40 of 404,130). Nationally the occupation is 0.01% of employment (20,370 of 155,495,730). The local share is 0.76 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.