Civil engineer · Des Moines, IA
Civil engineer in Des Moines: $3,314/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median civil engineer wage in Des Moines at $97,330 a year. About 830 civil engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is about the same share of local employment as nationwide (location quotient 0.87). The 10th percentile is $65,080 and the 90th is $140,780. Pay ranks 167th-highest of 368 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 8.2× a year of one-bedroom rent ($991/mo). Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $3,314 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Mankato, about 179 miles away, at $4,890 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Left over each month
$3,314
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$97,330
$65,080 to $140,780
Rent (1 bd)
$991
$1,180 (2 bd)
Employment
830
Location quotient 0.87
Pay rank
167th of 368
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
8.2×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, civil engineer pay of $97,330.
- Taxes$1,968
- Rent$991
- Other living costs$1,838
- Left over$3,314
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $97,330
- Federal income tax
- −$13,027
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$7,446
- State income tax (IA)
- −$3,144
- Take-home pay
- $73,714
- Effective tax rate
- 24.3%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $991
- Groceries
- $360
- Getting around
- $533
- Healthcare
- $405
- Utilities and internet
- $225
- Everything else
- $315
- Total spending
- $2,829
Left over each month
$8,111 gross, minus $1,968 in tax and $2,829 in living costs.
$3,314
Rank every metro for a civil engineer
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Mankato, $4,890/mo.
Civil engineer leftover by city →Best cities for civil engineers to move to →Civil engineer nearby
Other jobs in Des Moines
- Registered nurse
- Software developer
- Elementary school teacher
- High school teacher
- Accountant / auditor
- Truck driver (heavy)
- Electrician
- Lawyer
- Police officer
- Financial analyst
- Pharmacist
- Product / project manager
- Physical therapist
- Nurse practitioner
- Physician
- Construction manager
- Data scientist
- Firefighter
- Mechanical engineer
Questions
What does a civil engineer make in Des Moines?
$97,330 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 830 civil engineer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a civil engineer in Des Moines?
$3,314 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax Rent is $991, and pay covers 8.2× a year of it.
Where nearby would a civil engineer keep more?
Mankato, about 179 miles away, leaves $4,890 a month, more than Des Moines.