Police officer · Des Moines, IA

Police officer in Des Moines: $2,453/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median police officer wage in Des Moines at $81,810 a year. About 1,240 police officer jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.71). The 10th percentile is $62,540 and the 90th is $104,470. Pay ranks 84th-highest of 380 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 6.9× 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 $2,453 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Lincoln, about 170 miles away, at $3,099 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$2,453

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$81,810

$62,540 to $104,470

Rent (1 bd)

$991

$1,180 (2 bd)

Employment

1,240

Location quotient 0.71

Pay rank

84th of 380

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

6.9×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, police officer pay of $81,810.

Taxes$1,535
Rent$991
Other living costs$1,838
Left over$2,453

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $81,810
Federal income tax: −$9,612
Social Security and Medicare: −$6,258
State income tax (IA): −$2,554
Take-home pay: $63,385
Effective tax rate: 22.5%

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

$6,818 gross, minus $1,535 in tax and $2,829 in living costs.

$2,453

Rank every metro for a police officer

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Lincoln, $3,099/mo.

Police officer leftover by city →Best cities for police officers to move to →

Police officer nearby

Questions

What does a police officer make in Des Moines?

$81,810 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 1,240 police officer jobs are in the metro.

What is left after tax and rent for a police officer in Des Moines?

$2,453 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax Rent is $991, and pay covers 6.9× a year of it.

Where nearby would a police officer keep more?

Lincoln, about 170 miles away, leaves $3,099 a month, more than Des Moines.