How much do Sales Engineers make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

Percentile spread

For Sales Engineers, the published 10th percentile is $78,770 and the 90th percentile is $136,590. The difference is $57,820, which is 69.3% 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 $83,450 to the 75th at $89,960, covers $6,510.

The mean annual wage is $95,180, which sits above the median of $83,450. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA median is 33.2% lower than the national median of $124,900 for Sales Engineers. In 2024 national prices the local median is $91,002, which is 27.1% lower than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is about the same as the Iowa median of $83,450.

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 $83,450 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Sales Engineers at $91,002 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

5 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Sales Engineers. Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA ranks 5th of 6 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).).

• Cedar Rapids, IA is 115 miles away, with a median of $98,750. That median is 18.3% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $111,001, against $91,002 here.
• Omaha, NE-IA is 118 miles away, with a median of $97,820 and employment of 40. That median is 17.2% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $106,429, against $91,002 here.
• Lincoln, NE is 170 miles away, with a median of $83,240 and employment of 60. That median is 0.3% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $90,892, against $91,002 here.

Employment share

Sales Engineers accounts for 0.04% of wage-and-salary employment in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (160 of 404,130). Nationally the occupation is 0.03% of employment (51,790 of 155,495,730). The local share is 1.19 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.