Highest-paying science jobs in Des Moines

Written by:
February 9, 2023
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Highest-paying science jobs in Des Moines

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-paying science jobs in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2021 annual mean wage. Jobs the BLS lists as "life, physical, and social science occupations" were included.

#18. Agricultural technicians

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
- Annual mean salary: $47,300
- #28 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230

National
- Annual mean salary: $44,850
- Employment: 13,560
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($59,300)
--- Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI ($58,050)
--- Corvallis, OR ($57,990)

#17. Chemical technicians

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
- Annual mean salary: $47,670
- #192 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $55,040
- Employment: 57,690
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Billings, MT ($86,340)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($78,000)
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($77,020)

#16. Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
- Annual mean salary: $48,680
- #116 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $103,550
- Employment: 23,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($161,290)
--- Corpus Christi, TX ($156,870)
--- Midland, TX ($156,270)

#15. Forest and conservation technicians

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
- Annual mean salary: $51,480
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30

National
- Annual mean salary: $43,420
- Employment: 30,440
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($68,370)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($66,570)
--- Corvallis, OR ($62,260)

#14. Environmental science and protection technicians, including health

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
- Annual mean salary: $56,800
- #23 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80

National
- Annual mean salary: $50,550
- Employment: 34,110
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($79,780)
--- Huntsville, AL ($78,320)
--- Birmingham-Hoover, AL ($76,970)

#13. Conservation scientists

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
- Annual mean salary: $65,510
- #103 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

National
- Annual mean salary: $68,230
- Employment: 22,550
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Springfield, MA-CT ($108,670)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($106,200)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($101,900)

#12. Biological technicians

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
- Annual mean salary: $65,940
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

National
- Annual mean salary: $51,770
- Employment: 76,150
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX ($69,050)
--- Boulder, CO ($68,640)
--- Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA ($65,940)

#11. School psychologists

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
- Annual mean salary: $67,080
- #190 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100

National
- Annual mean salary: $82,770
- Employment: 57,110
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Boulder, CO ($116,280)
--- El Centro, CA ($116,010)
--- Fresno, CA ($115,360)

#10. Chemists

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
- Annual mean salary: $72,900
- #177 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

National
- Annual mean salary: $89,130
- Employment: 80,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($131,290)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($115,790)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($108,330)

#9. Environmental scientists and specialists, including health

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
- Annual mean salary: $75,940
- #120 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210

National
- Annual mean salary: $81,240
- Employment: 76,890
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Idaho Falls, ID ($116,630)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($109,190)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($107,710)

#8. Animal scientists

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
- Annual mean salary: $77,920
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $80,390
- Employment: 2,790
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($98,830)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($95,360)
--- Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN ($81,970)

#7. Occupational health and safety specialists

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
- Annual mean salary: $78,160
- #150 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260

National
- Annual mean salary: $78,740
- Employment: 106,340
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($111,950)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($108,240)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($108,020)

#6. Urban and regional planners

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
- Annual mean salary: $81,450
- #66 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

National
- Annual mean salary: $81,310
- Employment: 38,940
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Boulder, CO ($119,680)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($112,760)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($112,740)

#5. Food scientists and technologists

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
- Annual mean salary: $87,760
- #27 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

National
- Annual mean salary: $84,150
- Employment: 13,510
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kansas City, MO-KS ($138,600)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,970)
--- Wichita, KS ($102,100)

#4. Soil and plant scientists

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
- Annual mean salary: $88,000
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 310

National
- Annual mean salary: $76,290
- Employment: 15,610
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Durham-Chapel Hill, NC ($111,450)
--- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX ($109,490)
--- Raleigh, NC ($109,320)

#3. Medical scientists, except epidemiologists

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
- Annual mean salary: $110,210
- #35 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $104,050
- Employment: 108,550
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Memphis, TN-MS-AR ($176,770)
--- Columbia, SC ($155,570)
--- Danbury, CT ($151,970)

#2. Clinical and counseling psychologists

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
- Annual mean salary: $117,040
- #23 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

National
- Annual mean salary: $99,640
- Employment: 58,100
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($136,630)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($134,200)
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($133,060)

#1. Biochemists and biophysicists

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
- Annual mean salary: $120,920
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

National
- Annual mean salary: $113,460
- Employment: 35,050
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($135,070)
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($133,520)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($133,390)

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