Humanoid Robotics Engineer.
Des Moines.
$162,000
median salary, 14% below the national average
$120,000 to $213,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Des Moines is 14% cheaper than the national average. For Humanoid Robotics Engineers, that shakes out to a median of $162,000, with the full range spanning $120,000 to $213,000. Expertise in bipedal locomotion, whole body control, and human robot interaction drives top compensation. Know the range before you walk in. 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 Humanoid Robotics 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
Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $162,000 is 89% higher than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Mechanical Engineers covers a different population than the Humanoid Robotics Engineer title as it is typically advertised. Both are shown, unreconciled, so you can judge which one describes the job you mean.
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 Humanoid Robotics 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 $146,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$105,000
to $130,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$138,000
to $170,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$178,000
to $211,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$203,000
to $251,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $42,000 to the total package.
Base
$162,000
Equity
$24,000
Bonus
$15,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $204,000
How Des Moines compares.
Des Moines, IA
$162,000
Cost of living: 14% below average
National Average
$188,000
Des Moines is $26,000 below
Humanoid Robotics Engineer salary by city.
Salary by role in Des Moines.
What you should know.
Here is what the Humanoid Robotics Engineer market actually looks like in Des Moines. 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. Expertise in bipedal locomotion, whole body control, and human robot interaction drives top compensation. Engineers who can integrate perception, planning, and manipulation into coherent humanoid behavior are extremely rare. Experience with reinforcement learning for locomotion, sim to real transfer, and compliant control for safe human proximity adds significant premiums.
Junior humanoid robotics engineers start at $115,000 to $145,000. Mid level engineers with physical robot deployment experience earn $168,000 to $210,000. Senior engineers reach $215,000 to $270,000. Technical leads at leading humanoid robotics companies can exceed $360,000 in total compensation. 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. Equity at humanoid robotics startups adds 25 to 50% of total compensation given venture capital valuations. Performance bonuses of 15 to 25% are standard. Signing bonuses of $30,000 to $75,000 are common. Benefits include hardware lab access, testing facility time, and conference travel. 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 $162,000, 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 Humanoid Robotics Engineers in Des Moines runs from $120,000 to $213,000. 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.
"Humanoid Robotics Engineer Salary in Des Moines, IA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/humanoid-robotics-engineer/des-moines
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