Technical Writer.
Des Moines.
$78,000
median salary, 15% below the national average
$59,000 to $88,000. Last updated August 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
If you are evaluating a Technical Writer offer in Des Moines, IA, here is the reality: $59,000 to $88,000, with $78,000 as the midpoint. 15% below the national average. Domain expertise in APIs, developer documentation, or regulated industries like medical devices and aerospace creates significant pay premiums. Do not accept the first number. 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 Technical Writer 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 $69,450 for Technical Writers (SOC 27-3042) in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan area, based on 200 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$55,850
25th percentile
$63,060
Median
$69,450
75th percentile
$83,760
90th percentile
$99,830
Workers surveyed
200
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Technical Writers (SOC 27-3042) rather than Technical Writer 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 27-3042Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $70,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$51,000
to $62,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$66,000
to $82,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$86,000
to $101,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$98,000
to $121,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $17,000 to the total package.
Base
$78,000
Equity
$9,000
Bonus
$6,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $95,000
How Des Moines compares.
Des Moines, IA
$78,000
Cost of living: 14% below average
National Average
$92,000
Des Moines is $14,000 below
Technical Writer salary by city.
Salary by role in Des Moines.
What you should know.
The Technical Writer 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. Domain expertise in APIs, developer documentation, or regulated industries like medical devices and aerospace creates significant pay premiums. Writers who can read code, build documentation sites, and work directly with engineering teams command 15 to 25% more than generalists.
Junior Technical Writers start at $66,000 to $75,000. Mid-level writers with domain expertise earn $82,000 to $98,000. Senior Technical Writers and Documentation Leads reach $100,000 to $125,000, while Documentation Directors at large companies can exceed $140,000. 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. Tech companies frequently offer RSUs adding $10,000 to $25,000 annually. Annual bonuses of 5 to 10% are common. Remote work is widely available, and many employers provide home office stipends and learning budgets. 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 $78,000, 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 Technical Writers in Des Moines runs from $59,000 to $88,000. 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.
"Technical Writer Salary in Des Moines, IA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/technical-writer/des-moines
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