Sales Representative.
Des Moines.
$57,000
median salary, 12% below the national average
$42,000 to $77,000. Last updated August 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
Orbyt estimates Sales Representative pay in Des Moines at $57,000, within a range of $42,000 to $77,000. That is 12% 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. 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 Sales Representative 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 $67,040 for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products (SOC 41-4012) in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan area, based on 4,900 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$42,820
25th percentile
$53,680
Median
$67,040
75th percentile
$88,950
90th percentile
$128,190
Workers surveyed
4,900
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products (SOC 41-4012) rather than Sales Representative specifically. The Des Moinesrange 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 41-4012Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $51,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$37,000
to $46,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$48,000
to $60,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$63,000
to $74,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$71,000
to $88,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $13,000 to the total package.
Base
$57,000
Equity
$7,000
Bonus
$5,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $70,000
How Des Moines compares.
Des Moines, IA
$57,000
Cost of living: 14% below average
National Average
$65,000
Des Moines is $8,000 below
Sales Representative salary by city.
Salary by role in Des Moines.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for Sales Representative 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. Industry and deal size are the primary salary drivers for sales representatives. Enterprise B2B reps selling six-figure contracts earn significantly more than retail or SMB-focused reps. Territory assignment, product complexity, and existing book of business also create meaningful pay differences across otherwise similar roles.
Sales development reps (SDRs) start at $45,000 to $55,000 base. Account executives earn $65,000 to $95,000 base with OTE of $120,000 to $180,000. Senior AEs and enterprise reps reach $100,000 to $140,000 base, with top performers exceeding $250,000 in total earnings. 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. On-target earnings (OTE) typically double the base salary through commissions. Top performers in enterprise SaaS or medical devices can earn $150,000 to $250,000 in total compensation. SPIFs, accelerators, and President's Club trips add further upside. 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 $57,000, 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 Sales Representatives in Des Moines runs from $42,000 to $77,000. 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 School Counselor in Des Moines earns $58,000 (2% more)
- The highest-paying role in Des Moines is CTO at $263,000
Common questions.
Sales Representative salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Des Moines.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Sales Representatives in Des Moines.
Related tools.
Do you work as a sales representative in Des Moines?
Your individual figure is never published. Submissions appear only as aggregate percentiles, and nothing is shown for a role and city until at least five people have reported. It is stored against your account, which is what keeps the dataset clean.
Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
Want this data on your site? Embed the salary widget. One script tag, free forever.
Related tools