Design Engineer.
Des Moines.
$85,000
median salary, 17% below the national average
$68,000 to $108,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Design Engineer pay in Des Moines ranges from $68,000 to $108,000 in 2026. The median is $85,000, 17% below the national average. Des Moines is a major insurance and financial services hub, home to Principal Financial, EMC Insurance, and a growing fintech community. Every dollar in that range is negotiable if you come prepared. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Design Engineer in Des Moines, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $85,490 for Mechanical Engineers (SOC 17-2141) in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan area, based on 390 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$70,770
25th percentile
$79,130
Median
$85,490
75th percentile
$105,930
90th percentile
$133,600
Workers surveyed
390
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Mechanical Engineers (SOC 17-2141) rather than Design Engineer specifically. The Des Moines range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 17-2141Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $77,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$55,000
to $68,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$72,000
to $89,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$94,000
to $111,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$106,000
to $132,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $25,000 to the total package.
Base
$85,000
Equity
$14,000
Bonus
$9,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $110,000
How Des Moines compares.
Des Moines, IA
$85,000
Cost of living: 14% below average
National Average
$102,000
Des Moines is $17,000 below
Design Engineer salary by city.
Salary by role in Des Moines.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for Design Engineer roles in Des Moines, here is what you are walking into. Des Moines is a major insurance and financial services hub, home to Principal Financial, EMC Insurance, and a growing fintech community. The metro's extremely low cost of living and strong job market make it one of the best value cities for finance professionals. Tech employment is growing as insurtech companies expand. Engineers who bridge design systems and frontend implementation at scale command the highest salaries. Proficiency in Figma-to-code workflows, component library architecture, and motion design with CSS or Framer Motion adds 15 to 20% over pure frontend roles. Companies with strong design cultures like Vercel, Linear, or Stripe pay top rates.
Junior frontend developers or UI designers start at $72,000 to $95,000, converging into design engineer roles at $108,000 to $185,000 within three to five years. Senior design engineers earn $180,000 to $230,000, while head of design engineering or design systems lead roles reach $240,000 to $310,000. In Des Moines, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 14% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
Base salary is not the full picture. RSUs at design-forward tech companies add $25,000 to $70,000 annually. Signing bonuses of $15,000 to $35,000 are typical, and many employers offer stipends for design tools, typography licenses, and creative software subscriptions. And on the tax side: iowa has a flat 3.8% state income tax. Des Moines has no city income tax. The low tax rate and affordable housing create strong purchasing power. When someone quotes you $85,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Benchmark against national insurance industry pay scales. Des Moines insurance employers must compete with remote offers from larger metros and will often match. The range for Design Engineers in Des Moines runs from $68,000 to $108,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
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Common questions.
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Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Design Engineer Salary in Des Moines, IA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/design-engineer/des-moines
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