Ranked by median pay, with jobs and rent share; from BLS and Census data.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
9 metro areas in Iowa publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 21,820 jobs. The three largest employers of nursing assistants are Omaha (7,740 jobs), Des Moines-West Des Moines (4,660 jobs), Davenport-Moline-Rock Island (2,220 jobs), which hold 67.0% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $38,740 to $43,940 a year, against $39,350 for the whole state and $42,260 for the whole country.
BLS reports a national median of $42,260 a year for nursing assistants (the lowest-paid tenth earn under $33,940 and the highest-paid tenth over $51,980). Employment is projected to change by +2.6% between 2025 and 2035, with about 196,200 openings a year including replacements. The typical entry route is: Postsecondary nondegree award. Education requirements are BLS's typical ones, not legal rules; many states also license this work, so check the state board before applying.
Higher pay is not the whole story: look at the rent share column (yearly rent divided by median pay) and the price level (100 is the national average). A metro with a lower salary but cheaper housing can leave more money at the end of the month. The location quotient shows where the occupation is concentrated; employers cluster where it is above 1, which usually means more openings and more competition among employers for the same skills.
Nursing assistants in Iowa: the highest median pay is in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area ($43,940 a year); the most jobs are in the Omaha, NE-IA area (7,740). Statewide the median is $39,350 with 22,670 jobs. Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation are listed; click a column to sort.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Yearly rent as % of median pay ⇅ | Price level (US = 100) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 4,660 | $43,940 | $35,420 | $50,630 | 1.24 | 31% | 91.7 |
| Ames, IA | 770 | $43,540 | $37,010 | $48,920 | 1.47 | 28% | 88.8 |
| Dubuque, IA | 1,010 | $41,580 | $36,850 | $50,430 | 1.85 | 28% | 87.3 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | 7,740 | $40,020 | $37,750 | $49,760 | 1.67 | 36% | 91.9 |
| Iowa City, IA | 1,310 | $39,330 | $35,060 | $50,630 | 1.50 | 33% | 91.5 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 1,740 | $39,110 | $35,350 | $49,810 | 1.34 | 28% | 89.0 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 930 | $38,940 | $36,410 | $48,090 | 1.33 | 31% | 86.5 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | 1,440 | $38,930 | $35,790 | $46,560 | 1.83 | 30% | 87.1 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 2,220 | $38,740 | $36,100 | $46,810 | 1.32 | 29% | 89.1 |
National page: Nursing assistants →Cities of Iowa
Rent uses the metro median gross rent (ACS) and appears only for metros that contain a city of this guide. "n/a" means BLS suppressed the figure or we have no rent for that metro.
In the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area, with a median of $43,940 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Omaha, NE-IA area, with 7,740 jobs.