Physician assistant salary in Iowa
Iowa physician assistants earn a median of $134,770 a year ($64.79 an hour), according to BLS data for May 2025. That is about the same as the national median of $135,880, and ranks 23rd of 51 states.
Median, Iowa
$134,770
Mean $139,870
Middle half earns
$120,060 to $159,950
US: $120,670 to $163,980
Employed in Iowa
1,200
0.74x the national concentration
Where Iowa sits in the range
Iowa
Statewide
United States
National
Omaha
Metro area
Des Moines
Metro area
Iowa
Metro area
Davenport
Metro area
Physician assistant pay by percentile
Ten percent of Iowa physician assistants earned less than $102,330 and ten percent earned more than $182,940, a spread of $80,610. Where you land depends mostly on specialty, setting, experience and how the productivity pay is built, which is why two offers in the same city can be far apart.
| Percentile | Iowa | United States | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $102,330 | $99,380 | +3.0% |
| 25th | $120,060 | $120,670 | -0.5% |
| Median | $134,770 | $135,880 | -0.8% |
| 75th | $159,950 | $163,980 | -2.5% |
| 90th | $182,940 | $190,280 | -3.9% |
Physician assistant pay by metro area
BLS published PA pay for 8 metro areas that include part of Iowa. Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL has the highest median at $137,420. Metro estimates rest on smaller samples than the statewide figure, so treat a low-precision row as a direction, not a number.
| Metro area | Employed | Median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha, NE-IA | 720 | $134,130 | $121,310 to $148,100 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 340 | $133,830 | $114,530 to $158,740 |
| Iowa City, IA | 230 | $134,770 | $134,770 to $164,420 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 110 | $137,420 | $118,610 to $154,560 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 80 | $129,680 | $119,630 to $155,680 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 70 | $130,970 | $115,270 to $146,930 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IAmoderate precision | 60 | $132,880 | $118,810 to $164,900 |
| Dubuque, IAmoderate precision | 40 | $126,050 | $107,640 to $132,790 |
How PA pay compares with other clinicians in Iowa
| Occupation | Iowa | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Physician assistant | $134,770 | $135,880 |
| Nurse practitioner | $130,160 | $132,300 |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | $273,070 | $236,590 |
| Registered nurse | $78,630 | $97,550 |
The Iowa PA workforce
BLS counts 1,200 physician assistants on Iowa payrolls, or 0.77 for every 1,000 jobs in the state, less concentrated than in the country as a whole. The federal NPI registry, which also counts self-employed and part-time clinicians, lists 1,760 physician assistants with a Iowa practice address, and 46 new PA NPIs there in the past twelve months.
Using these numbers when you negotiate
A state median is a reference point, not a target. If an offer comes in under $120,060, it sits in the bottom quarter of what Iowa physician assistants earn, and you should know why before you sign: a new-grad rate, a light schedule, or a base kept low because a productivity bonus is supposed to make up the difference. If it is above $159,950, ask what is expected in return, such as call, volume targets or a longer non-compete.
Compare the whole package, not the base: how the bonus is calculated, call pay, CME, PTO and who pays malpractice tail coverage. The negotiation guide and the contract checklist walk through each term.
Questions about PA pay in Iowa
How much does a PA make in Iowa?
The median annual wage for physician assistants in Iowa was $134,770 in May 2025, and the mean was $139,870, per the BLS. The middle half earned between $120,060 and $159,950.
What is the hourly rate for physician assistants in Iowa?
The median hourly wage was $64.79 and the mean was $67.25. BLS computes hourly figures from annual pay assuming a full-time year, so per-shift or per-diem rates can differ.
Where do PAs earn the most in Iowa?
Among Iowa metro areas with published data, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL had the highest median at $137,420, and Dubuque, IA the lowest at $126,050.
How does Iowa rank for PA pay?
Iowa ranks 23rd of 51 states (including DC) by median PA pay, about the same as the national median of $135,880. Pay is only half the picture: compare it with what housing and taxes cost where you would live.
How many physician assistants work in Iowa?
BLS estimated 1,200 physician assistants employed in Iowa in May 2025. The federal NPI registry lists 1,760 with a Iowa practice address.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (bls.gov/oes), SOC 29-1071, all industries and ownerships. NPI counts: NPPES monthly file, August 2026 (CMS, public domain). BLS wages are straight-time pay: they include production bonuses but leave out overtime, shift differentials, non-production bonuses and benefits, and they exclude the self-employed.
Have an offer on the table?
Book a free intro call with Max. Tell him what you are weighing, and he will tell you whether coaching would help, or whether you just need a few answers.