SOC 15-1251, wage year 2025-26
Computer Programmers prevailing wage in Iowa
Short answer
In Iowa, the median prevailing wage for computer programmers across its 13 areas is $28.41 an hour at Level 1 ($59,093 a year) and $46.20 an hour at Level 4 ($96,096 a year). The Level 2 median of $34.65 is 6% below the national median across areas ($36.98). Iowa City, IA is the highest-paying area at $40.52 at Level 2, and Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area the lowest at $30.54.
Every Iowa area for computer programmers
| Area | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa City, IA | $34.07 | $40.52 | $46.98 | $53.43 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $30.95 | $37.95 | $44.95 | $51.95 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | $28.41 | $37.35 | $46.29 | $55.23 |
| Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $28.75 | $36.77 | $44.78 | $52.80 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $30.95 | $36.30 | $41.64 | $46.99 |
| Ames, IA | $29.71 | $35.21 | $40.70 | $46.20 |
| Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $29.81 | $34.65 | $39.49 | $44.33 |
| Dubuque, IA | $28.29 | $33.98 | $39.68 | $45.37 |
| Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $27.43 | $33.91 | $40.39 | $46.87 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $28.11 | $33.78 | $39.44 | $45.11 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $25.66 | $32.01 | $38.36 | $44.71 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $24.85 | $31.22 | $37.59 | $43.96 |
| Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $24.29 | $30.54 | $36.79 | $43.04 |
Hourly dollars. Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC), prevailing wage data, wage year 2025-26. An LCA is not an H-1B approval or a job opening.
Other occupations in Iowa
- Computer Systems Analysts
- Information Security Analysts
- Computer and Information Research Scientists
- Computer Network Support Specialists
- Computer User Support Specialists
- Computer Network Architects
- Database Administrators
- Database Architects
- Network and Computer Systems Administrators
- Software Developers
- Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
- Web Developers
- Web and Digital Interface Designers
- Computer Occupations, All Other
- Data Scientists