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 41,910 jobs. The three largest employers of retail salespersons are Omaha (12,080 jobs), Des Moines-West Des Moines (11,000 jobs), Davenport-Moline-Rock Island (4,760 jobs), which hold 66.4% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $29,940 to $33,430 a year, against $31,360 for the whole state and $35,410 for the whole country.
BLS reports a national median of $35,410 a year for retail salespersons (the lowest-paid tenth earn under $27,210 and the highest-paid tenth over $47,890). Employment is projected to change by -0.3% between 2025 and 2035, with about 520,600 openings a year including replacements. The typical entry route is: No formal educational credential; on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. 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.
Retail salespersons in Iowa: the highest median pay is in the Cedar Rapids, IA area ($33,430 a year); the most jobs are in the Omaha, NE-IA area (12,080). Statewide the median is $31,360 with 41,000 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) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 3,410 | $33,430 | $24,550 | $45,920 | 0.98 | 33% | 89.0 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 11,000 | $33,430 | $27,630 | $46,780 | 1.09 | 41% | 91.7 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | 12,080 | $33,260 | $28,280 | $46,490 | 0.97 | 43% | 91.9 |
| Ames, IA | 1,460 | $32,460 | $26,450 | $46,130 | 1.04 | 37% | 88.8 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 4,760 | $32,030 | $28,000 | $46,280 | 1.05 | 35% | 89.1 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | 2,460 | $31,270 | $26,380 | $45,890 | 1.16 | 37% | 87.1 |
| Dubuque, IA | 1,810 | $30,960 | $25,750 | $45,320 | 1.23 | 37% | 87.3 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 2,220 | $30,150 | $24,180 | $45,770 | 1.18 | 40% | 86.5 |
| Iowa City, IA | 2,710 | $29,940 | $22,070 | $43,050 | 1.15 | 44% | 91.5 |
National page: Retail salespersons →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 Cedar Rapids, IA area, with a median of $33,430 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Omaha, NE-IA area, with 12,080 jobs.