Pharmacist.
Des Moines.
$118,000
median salary, 11% below the national average
$106,000 to $136,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A Pharmacist in Des Moines earns a median of $118,000 in 2026. That is 11% below the national average. The range runs from $106,000 to $136,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Practice setting creates the widest salary spread, with hospital and specialty pharmacy paying above retail. 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 Pharmacist 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 $141,110 for Pharmacists (SOC 29-1051) in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan area, based on 850 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$123,510
25th percentile
$130,370
Median
$141,110
75th percentile
$162,570
90th percentile
$164,900
Workers surveyed
850
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Pharmacists (SOC 29-1051) rather than Pharmacist 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 29-1051Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $106,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$77,000
to $94,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$100,000
to $124,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$130,000
to $153,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$148,000
to $183,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $31,000 to the total package.
Base
$118,000
Equity
$18,000
Bonus
$11,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $149,000
How Des Moines compares.
Des Moines, IA
$118,000
Cost of living: 14% below average
National Average
$132,000
Des Moines is $14,000 below
Pharmacist salary by city.
Salary by role in Des Moines.
What you should know.
Here is what the Pharmacist 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. Practice setting creates the widest salary spread, with hospital and specialty pharmacy paying above retail. Board certifications in oncology, critical care, or ambulatory care add 5 to 10% premiums. States with pharmacist provider status and areas with workforce shortages consistently offer higher base salaries to attract talent.
Staff pharmacists start at $115,000 to $125,000 in most settings. Clinical specialists with board certification earn $135,000 to $155,000 after gaining experience. Pharmacy directors and chief pharmacy officers can reach $160,000 to $220,000 in health system leadership roles. 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. Pharmacists receive comprehensive benefits, often including loan repayment assistance of $5,000 to $20,000 annually. Retail pharmacists may earn performance bonuses, while hospital pharmacists receive shift differentials and clinical ladder advancement pay. 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 $118,000, 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 Pharmacists in Des Moines runs from $106,000 to $136,000. 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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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Pharmacist Salary in Des Moines, IA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/pharmacist/des-moines
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