L6 Software Engineer.
Des Moines.
$182,000
median salary, 13% below the national average
$160,000 to $215,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A L6 Software Engineer in Des Moines earns a median of $182,000 in 2026. That is 13% below the national average. The range runs from $160,000 to $215,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Compensation for L6 Software Engineers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack. 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 L6 Software 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 $126,460 for Software Developers (SOC 15-1252) in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan area, based on 4,240 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$79,170
25th percentile
$101,550
Median
$126,460
75th percentile
$140,390
90th percentile
$168,180
Workers surveyed
4,240
Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $182,000 is 44% higher than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Software Developers covers a different population than the L6 Software 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 Software Developers (SOC 15-1252) rather than L6 Software 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 15-1252Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $164,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$118,000
to $146,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$155,000
to $191,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$200,000
to $237,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$228,000
to $282,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $51,000 to the total package.
Base
$182,000
Equity
$29,000
Bonus
$18,000
Signing
$4,000
Estimated total: $233,000
How Des Moines compares.
Des Moines, IA
$182,000
Cost of living: 14% below average
National Average
$210,000
Des Moines is $28,000 below
L6 Software Engineer salary by city.
Salary by role in Des Moines.
What you should know.
The L6 Software Engineer landscape in Des Moines is not what most salary sites will tell you. 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. Compensation for L6 Software Engineers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack. Signing bonuses near $12K are standard for lateral hires and reset every 2 to 4 years. Within tech-sector L6 Software Engineers specifically, employer tier (FAANG and frontier-AI labs vs mid-stage startups vs traditional enterprise) drives 67%+ variance across the compensation band.
L6 Software Engineers typically progress Junior → Mid → Senior → Staff → Principal over 8 to 12 years, with the Staff+ levels carrying significant technical scope and cross-team influence. The director/VP track diverges around year 8 for those who choose management; IC staff-plus roles keep building technical depth. 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. Total compensation for L6 Software Engineers includes a meaningful signing bonus near $12K, which resets every 2 to 4 years for lateral hires. Base plus bonus (10% of base at target) forms the bulk of ongoing annual comp; signing bonuses are best thought of as a 4-year amortized component. At tech companies specifically, equity and sign-on are often the largest delta between offers — two roles with matching base can differ by $100K+ at total when equity is included. 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 $182,000, 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 L6 Software Engineers in Des Moines runs from $160,000 to $215,000. 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
Considering a related role?
- A L7 Software Engineer in Des Moines earns $179,000 (2% less)
- The highest-paying role in Des Moines is CTO at $263,000
Common questions.
L6 Software Engineer salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Des Moines.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"L6 Software Engineer Salary in Des Moines, IA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/l6-software-engineer/des-moines
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