Iowa RN Salary 2026
Last reviewed: by Jayson Minagawa, BSN, RN
What RNs actually earn in Iowa
The mean registered nurse salary in Iowa is $80,540 a year, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. That puts Iowa 21% below the national RN mean of $101,420, and 4th-lowest in the country.
That mean covers every RN in the state — new graduates and thirty-year charge nurses, day shift and nights, bedside and management. In practice new-graduate wages in Iowa land around $60,405, and experienced specialty or supervisory nurses reach roughly $112,756. If you are comparing a specific offer, the ladder below is more useful than the all-RN average.
Iowa pay across the nursing ladder
Six roles, all Iowa figures, each against its national anchor:
| Role | Mean annual | vs national | State rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurse (all RNs) | $80,540 | 21% below national | 48th |
| ICU / critical care RN | $106,921 | 25% above national | 30th |
| Emergency department RN | $81,469 | — | 33rd |
| Travel nurse (posted base) | $94,990 | 6% below national | 33rd |
| Nurse practitioner | $133,020 | 3% below national | 13th |
| CRNA | $252,191 | 2% above national | 17th |
RN, NP and CRNA figures are BLS May 2025 OEWS unless the state note says otherwise. ICU, ER and travel figures are 2026 aggregator data (ZipRecruiter, Vivian, TheCRNA) — those specialties have no separate federal SOC code, so no BLS series exists for them.
What that salary is actually worth
Iowa's regional price parity is 90.0 against a national average of 100, so goods and services here cost 10.0% less than the national norm. Run the $80,540 mean through that and it carries the purchasing power of $89,489 anywhere else in the country.
Iowa ranks 48th on nominal pay and 48th once cost of living is taken out, so the headline number is roughly honest here — what you are offered is close to what it is worth.
What is driving Iowa pay right now
Among the lowest baseline RN wages despite very strong CRNA and NP markets; rural hospital pressure and full NP practice authority elevate APRN demand.
Staffing-ratio law: Iowa has no statutory nurse-to-patient ratios, so how many patients you carry is set by hospital policy and unit budget rather than by law. That makes the ratio a question to settle in the interview, not after you start — ask what the unit actually runs on nights and weekends, not what the policy says.
Who you are competing with
As a Nurse Licensure Compact state, Iowa lets any nurse holding a multistate licence work here without applying for a separate one. That widens the pool of candidates for every posting, and it also means travel nurses can start assignments quickly — which keeps contract rates competitive but stops staff wages running away during a shortage. Full detail on requirements and timelines is in the Iowa licensure guide.
Where the jobs are in Iowa
The largest RN employment markets in Iowa are Des Moines, Cedar Rapids. Metro wages generally run 5-15% above the state mean, and rural postings 5-10% below — though rural and critical-access hospitals often close part of that gap with sign-on bonuses and loan repayment, because they compete for a much smaller pool of applicants. ANCC Magnet-designated hospitals typically pay 8-12% more than non-Magnet facilities for the same role.
Tax and take-home in Iowa
Iowa state income tax: flat 3.8%. State income tax comes out before anything else, so compare cross-state offers on take-home rather than gross. Federal brackets and FICA (6.2% Social Security plus 1.45% Medicare) apply the same everywhere. The pay calculator models federal and Iowa state tax together, and the cost-of-living calculator compares two states on take-home rather than headline pay.
Differentials and premium pay
Base rate is rarely the whole story. Most Iowa hospitals pay a night differential of roughly $2-7/hr, weekends $1-3/hr, holidays at $1-3/hr or time-and-a-half, and charge-nurse pay of $2-5/hr on top. A nurse working a permanent night rotation with every third weekend can add several thousand a year over the base figures above. The shift differential calculator works out what a given rotation is actually worth.
Common questions
What is the average RN salary in Iowa?
The mean registered nurse salary in Iowa is $80,540 per year, per the BLS May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. That is 21% below the national RN mean of $101,420, and ranks 4th-lowest in the country.
Is $80,540 a good RN salary in Iowa?
Adjusted for Iowa's cost of living (BEA regional price parity 90.0, where 100 is the national average), $80,540 has the purchasing power of about $89,489 nationally — 48th among the 51 states and DC. Compare offers on the adjusted figure, not the headline one.
Which Iowa nursing roles pay the most?
CRNAs lead at $252,191, followed by nurse practitioners at $133,020. Within bedside nursing, ICU and critical care ($106,921) typically pays above the all-RN mean.
Related Iowa guides
See nursing licensure in Iowa for Board of Nursing requirements and compact status, and travel nursing in Iowa for contract rates and stipend detail. National context: pay and data, highest-paying RN specialties.