Salary data · BLS OEWS May 2025
Editor salary in Iowa
$57,200
Median annual
$27.50
Median hourly
$67,790
Mean annual
900
Employed
In Iowa, a typical editor earned $57,200 a year in May 2025 (median), with an average of $67,790. About 900 people work in this occupation there.
That is 27% below the national median of $77,920. Compared with all occupations in Iowa (median $48,540), editors earn 18% more.
Pay varies widely: the lowest-paid 10% earned less than $38,050, while the top 10% earned more than $108,820. Many editors are self-employed, and BLS wage surveys cover employees only, so freelance income can differ.
Pay distribution
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $38,050 | $18.29 |
| 25th | $45,800 | $22.02 |
| Median | $57,200 | $27.50 |
| 75th | $75,180 | $36.14 |
| 90th | $108,820 | $52.32 |
Metro areas in Iowa
| Metro area | Median | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $63,720 | 260 |
| Iowa City, IA | $63,440 | 100 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $61,880 | 90 |
| Dubuque, IA | $60,980 | 70 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $58,050 | 90 |
| Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $48,080 | 60 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $47,300 | 50 |
| Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $46,710 | 40 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Estimates exclude self-employed workers; "—" means the estimate was not released.