Privacy / Data Counsel.
Des Moines.
$169,000
median salary, 15% below the national average
$129,000 to $220,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A Privacy / Data Counsel in Des Moines earns a median of $169,000 in 2026. That is 15% below the national average. The range runs from $129,000 to $220,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. The expanding regulatory landscape across GDPR, CCPA, and emerging state privacy laws drives intense demand. 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 Privacy / Data Counsel 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 $134,560 for Lawyers (SOC 23-1011) in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan area, based on 1,760 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$65,830
25th percentile
$95,820
Median
$134,560
75th percentile
$213,150
90th percentile
$292,020
Workers surveyed
1,760
Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $169,000 is 26% higher than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Lawyers covers a different population than the Privacy / Data Counsel 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 Lawyers (SOC 23-1011) rather than Privacy / Data Counsel 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 23-1011Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $152,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$110,000
to $135,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$144,000
to $177,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$186,000
to $220,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$211,000
to $262,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $44,000 to the total package.
Base
$169,000
Equity
$25,000
Bonus
$16,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $213,000
How Des Moines compares.
Des Moines, IA
$169,000
Cost of living: 14% below average
National Average
$198,000
Des Moines is $29,000 below
Privacy / Data Counsel salary by city.
Salary by role in Des Moines.
What you should know.
Here is what the Privacy / Data Counsel 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. The expanding regulatory landscape across GDPR, CCPA, and emerging state privacy laws drives intense demand. Counsel with CIPP certification, cross-border transfer expertise, and AI governance experience command the highest premiums. Industry matters too, with fintech and health tech paying above average.
Privacy analysts start at $85,000 to $110,000. Mid-level privacy counsel earn $150,000 to $200,000. Chief Privacy Officers and VP-level privacy leaders at large tech firms earn $250,000 to $380,000 with substantial equity grants. 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. Bonuses range from 15 to 25% at tech companies, with equity packages adding $50,000 to $150,000 in annual value. Many roles include privacy conference budgets, IAPP membership, and continuing education allowances. 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 $169,000, 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 Privacy / Data Counsels in Des Moines runs from $129,000 to $220,000. 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.
"Privacy / Data Counsel Salary in Des Moines, IA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/privacy-data-counsel/des-moines
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