Firefighter · Des Moines, IA
Firefighter in Des Moines: $1,017/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median firefighter wage in Des Moines at $56,910 a year. About 730 firefighter jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.81). The 10th percentile is $36,570 and the 90th is $103,370. Pay ranks 157th-highest of 346 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 4.8× 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 $1,017 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Ames, about 32 miles away, at $3,039 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Left over each month
$1,017
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$56,910
$36,570 to $103,370
Rent (1 bd)
$991
$1,180 (2 bd)
Employment
730
Location quotient 0.81
Pay rank
157th of 346
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
4.8×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, firefighter pay of $56,910.
- Taxes$896
- Rent$991
- Other living costs$1,838
- Left over$1,017
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $56,910
- Federal income tax
- −$4,791
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$4,354
- State income tax (IA)
- −$1,608
- Take-home pay
- $46,158
- Effective tax rate
- 18.9%
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
$4,743 gross, minus $896 in tax and $2,829 in living costs.
$1,017
Rank every metro for a firefighter
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Ames, $3,039/mo.
Firefighter leftover by city →Best cities for firefighters to move to →Firefighter nearby
Other jobs in Des Moines
- Registered nurse
- Software developer
- Elementary school teacher
- High school teacher
- Accountant / auditor
- Truck driver (heavy)
- Electrician
- Civil engineer
- Lawyer
- Police officer
- Financial analyst
- Pharmacist
- Product / project manager
- Physical therapist
- Nurse practitioner
- Physician
- Construction manager
- Data scientist
- Mechanical engineer
Questions
What does a firefighter make in Des Moines?
$56,910 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 730 firefighter jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a firefighter in Des Moines?
$1,017 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax Rent is $991, and pay covers 4.8× a year of it.
Where nearby would a firefighter keep more?
Ames, about 32 miles away, leaves $3,039 a month, more than Des Moines.