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Careers in Iowa
Most Popular Careers by City in Iowa:
Job opportunities vary greatly by location. As the tables below clearly show, individual cities and towns offer employment opportunities which differ from those you'll find in other places. Some places feature jobs in technology, some in manufacturing, others in education, etc. Whether choosing a career path or seeking a new job, it pays to consider which careers are favored in the area in which you live or to which are willing to move.
Select the city you want or just browse down this page to see the analysis for each city:
NOTE: A Career Popularity level of 1.0 indicates the national average; a popularity rating of 3.5, for example, indicates that the career is 3.5 times as prevalent locally than it is nationally.
Ames Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Ames and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide.
| Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity* vs. Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soil and plant scientists | $57,730 | 100 | 111.1 |
| Biological technicians | $36,910 | 350 | 25.9 |
| Prepress technicians and workers | $35,670 | 110 | 7.9 |
| Printing machine operators | $35,490 | 220 | 4.8 |
| Library assistants, clerical | $37,040 | 120 | 4.7 |
| Computer specialists, all other | $52,530 | 190 | 3.9 |
| Civil engineers | $76,210 | 260 | 3.9 |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria | $26,530 | 280 | 3.6 |
| Nonfarm animal caretakers | $26,250 | 110 | 3.5 |
| Teachers and instructors, all other | $47,050 | 380 | 3.2 |
Cedar Rapids Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Cedar Rapids and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide.
| Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity* vs. Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Millwrights | $47,720 | 270 | 9.5 |
| Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $33,150 | 130 | 7.6 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technicians | $51,520 | 950 | 5.9 |
| Rehabilitation counselors | $25,770 | 410 | 4.6 |
| Dental laboratory technicians | $33,950 | 140 | 4.1 |
| Industrial production managers | $110,830 | 530 | 3.8 |
| Reporters and correspondents | $31,260 | 130 | 3.5 |
| Structural iron and steel workers | $44,520 | 190 | 3.5 |
| Computer software engineers, systems software | $75,910 | 1,370 | 3.4 |
| Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer | $41,330 | 5,030 | 3.4 |
Davenport Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Davenport and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide.
| Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity* vs. Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Umpires, referees, and other sports officials | $22,600 | 180 | 22.8 |
| Foundry mold and coremakers | $32,550 | 110 | 13.4 |
| Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders | $32,310 | 490 | 10.8 |
| Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $29,140 | 230 | 10.6 |
| Metal workers and plastic workers, all other | $39,290 | 250 | 7.3 |
| Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $27,210 | 200 | 6.7 |
| Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall | $39,650 | 110 | 6.3 |
| Logisticians | $75,240 | 830 | 6.1 |
| Plating and coating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $34,150 | 270 | 6.1 |
| Food cooking machine operators and tenders | $36,290 | 180 | 5.5 |
Des Moines Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Des Moines and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide.
| Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity* vs. Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soil and plant scientists | $72,480 | 480 | 53.1 |
| Agricultural and food science technicians | $32,840 | 230 | 12.1 |
| Actuaries | $91,150 | 410 | 10.6 |
| Engine and other machine assemblers | $30,950 | 230 | 6.1 |
| Insurance underwriters | $57,540 | 1,360 | 5.6 |
| Financial examiners | $76,750 | 280 | 4.7 |
| Marriage and family therapists | $41,010 | 180 | 4.7 |
| Loan interviewers and clerks | $31,800 | 2,340 | 4.4 |
| Merchandise displayers and window trimmers | $23,300 | 500 | 4.1 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators | $51,720 | 2,850 | 4 |
Dubuque Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Dubuque and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide.
| Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity* vs. Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team assemblers | $29,020 | 1,790 | 5.3 |
| Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders | $31,120 | 140 | 5.2 |
| Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $28,030 | 100 | 4.3 |
| Sewing machine operators | $25,840 | 180 | 4.1 |
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters | $28,270 | 120 | 3.6 |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers | $17,290 | 120 | 3.5 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers | $29,590 | 200 | 3 |
| Data entry keyers | $26,230 | 280 | 2.9 |
| Printing machine operators | $34,710 | 180 | 2.8 |
| Coaches and scouts | $29,140 | 130 | 2.4 |
Iowa City Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Iowa City and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide.
| Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity* vs. Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical scientists, except epidemiologists | $62,580 | 350 | 8.4 |
| Food preparation and serving related workers, all other | $18,250 | 110 | 5.6 |
| Prepress technicians and workers | $40,210 | 140 | 5 |
| English language and literature teachers, postsecondary | n/a | 100 | 4.3 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment | $46,190 | 140 | 4.1 |
| Team assemblers | $24,290 | 1,920 | 3.9 |
| Child care workers | $18,020 | 1,020 | 3.6 |
| Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $32,630 | 120 | 3.5 |
| Instructional coordinators | $54,740 | 190 | 3.1 |
| Chemists | $52,720 | 120 | 3 |
Sioux City Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Sioux City and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide.
| Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity* vs. Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders | $29,910 | 150 | 14.2 |
| Graders and sorters, agricultural products | $23,270 | 120 | 13 |
| Food cooking machine operators and tenders | $26,550 | 130 | 10.9 |
| Production workers, all other | $21,670 | 900 | 8.5 |
| Food batchmakers | $27,210 | 210 | 5.6 |
| Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders | $22,720 | 140 | 5.2 |
| Credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks | $24,210 | 130 | 4.6 |
| Rehabilitation counselors | $35,400 | 200 | 4.4 |
| Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders | $30,990 | 160 | 4.1 |
| Telemarketers | $21,720 | 580 | 3.7 |
Waterloo Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Waterloo and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide.
| Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity* vs. Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood | $26,540 | 610 | 45.9 |
| Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers | n/a | 750 | 19.3 |
| Agricultural equipment operators | $24,830 | 110 | 18.8 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters | $23,870 | 1,030 | 16.7 |
| Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $32,440 | 550 | 13.6 |
| Legislators | $27,160 | 250 | 9.7 |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders | $27,890 | 320 | 6.5 |
| Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders | $36,320 | 100 | 5 |
| Tool and die makers | $45,200 | 210 | 4.8 |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators | $29,120 | 1,560 | 4.5 |
* A Career Popularity level of 1.0 indicates the national average; a popularity rating of 3.5, for example, indicates that the career is 3.5 times as prevalent locally than it is nationally.
Analysis (above) provided by CityTownInfo.com, based on data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and the US Census.