25 of the Highest Paying Jobs in Iowa for 2026

The top jobs in Iowa can pay up to $403,200 per year

High Paying Iowa Jobs

• Dedicated Owner Operator

  Salary range: $72,100 - $403,200

  Dedicated Owner-Operators are truckers who are dedicated to one company and drive a consistent route. Other long-haul truckers may not know where they are traveling to from week to week; Dedicated Owner-Operators have a consistent destination. They have set routes that do not change. This is where the name comes from—the owner-operator is dedicated to their routes, and is not available to take other jobs or to change their course. Owner-Operator Truck Drivers own, rent, or lease their truck, rather than driving a truck owned by their employer.

• Nurse Practitioner

  Salary range: $101,400 - $140,900

  Nurse practitioners are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) with additional responsibilities including prescribing medication, examining patients, diagnosing illnesses, and providing treatment, much as physicians do. Nurse practitioners are educated and trained to provide health care services, such as the diagnosis and treatment of acute illness and chronic conditions.

• Pharmacist

  Salary range: $109,400 - $131,500

  A Pharmacist fills orders for prescription medications and instructs patients on how to take them. They may work in community or hospital pharmacies, universities, prisons, or for pharmaceutical companies. Pharmacists are responsible for monitoring patient prescriptions to ensure there are no drug interactions or other impacts on existing conditions. They inform patients of potential side effects and may offer immunizations, and should also be aware of the potential for prescription drug abuse. Pharmacists also need to understand insurance coding and how to process claims for patients. Outside of a pharmacy, they may work in other healthcare locations providing patients with medicinal and wellness information.

• Power Lineman

  Salary range: $64,800 - $127,700

  As a power lineman, your job is to support the operations of utilities by installing and maintaining electrical lines. As part of your role, you may do construction work to fix or replace lines, use equipment to reach areas in need of repair, and teach an apprentice how to do the job. You also identify defective elements in a system, inspect and test power lines and related equipment, climb poles and transmission towers, and work in severe weather conditions. Following disasters like storms or earthquakes, you may work extended shifts if necessary.

• Pmhnp

  Salary range: $118,300 - $126,800

  As a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, often shortened to PMHNP, your job is to help diagnose mental health conditions in a patient and prescribe the best course of treatment. As part of this, you may use multiple assessment exams to identify the condition, research treatment strategies, or talk with the patient to better understand their unique history and needs. Unlike most other mental health practitioners, you also perform physical assessments and diagnostic exams instead of focusing exclusively on the mind. PMHNPs may work in a clinic, but you can also find this job in hospitals and other advanced care facilities.

• Biostatistician

  Salary range: $79,400 - $125,900

  A biostatistician is a mathematician who utilizes data, math, and statistics in the field of biology to determine a range of possible outcomes. Biostatisticians design and conduct complex experiments and research studies for agricultural and medical research to determine risk factors for a particular medicine. Biostatisticians work with other statisticians and scientists in many different settings, including at universities, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, public colleges, government agencies, and agricultural firms.

• Radiology Technologist

  Salary range: $56,400 - $116,900

  A radiology technologist or technician is healthcare professional who takes images of patients’ tissues and bones, as ordered by their doctors using radiologic equipment. As a radiology tech, your responsibilities and duties include preparing equipment, explaining the procedures to patients, taking images, and passing results to doctors. You do not diagnose patients, but you do answer questions they have throughout the process. You must ensure that all the images are correct and clear so that the treating doctor can make a proper diagnosis and provide treatment. Some radiology technologists may have a specialty such as mammography.

• Electrical Lineman

  Salary range: $116,500 - $116,500

  An electrical lineman, or electrical line worker, installs and maintains power lines. Their duties include putting up or maintaining new power lines, as well as repairing broken lines or transformers. Linemen make sure electrical lines are functioning and make repairs quickly and accurately to restore electrical service to customers. Line workers work at multiple outdoor sites and at tall heights.

• Construction

  Salary range: $66,700 - $108,500

  Construction jobs encompass a wide range of opportunities in the industry, ranging from carpenters and electricians to project managers and civil engineers. Construction professionals participate in a wide range of projects. There are residential projects, such as single family homes, small lot developments, or apartment buildings, commercial projects, such as building strip malls, industrial facilities or office buildings, and a range of infrastructure projects, such as public transit construction or building bridges. Your duties and responsibilities depend on the type of project and your role in the construction industry.

• Legal Nurse Consultant

  Salary range: $63,900 - $95,300

  A legal nurse consultant is a current or former registered nurse in good standing who helps attorneys understand medical processes and language in cases that require medical expertise. Some kinds of litigation that need the services of a legal nurse consultant include insurance fraud, worker's compensation, medical malpractice, and personal injury. Each case differs, but some common responsibilities involve reviewing medical records to find signs of tampering or malpractice or to determine whether or not a case has enough merit to move forward. Legal nurse consultants may also examine patients or interview witnesses who are involved in the case and testify in court.

• Network Analyst

  Salary range: $62,000 - $93,900

  A network analyst installs, maintains, and troubleshoots the computer network systems for an organization. As a network analyst, your typical duties involve designing, developing, and evaluating network systems and related communications. You also provide technical support for all the components of the system, including both hardware and software.

• Videographer

  Salary range: $41,800 - $68,600

  As a professional Videographer, you capture live events, such as weddings or professional conferences, utilizing video recording and sound equipment. You are responsible for selecting the equipment that best suits the event and venue to capture it in the manner desired by your client. Videographers must also maintain and repair cameras and sound equipment as needed and may need to manage a crew as well, depending on the size of the production.

• Welding

  Salary range: $45,600 - $66,700

  Welding jobs are any jobs that include metal welding as a significant part of the work. There are many different fields that require welders, including manufacturing and construction. As a welder, you are trained to use a number of hand-held and automated tools to complete jobs. You use these tools to cut or fuse together metal parts. Other related positions include cutting, soldering, and brazing jobs. Other fields that have a significant welding component include ironwork and sheet metal work.

• Hotshot Driver

  Salary range: $42,766 - $65,059

  A hotshot driver is a truck driver whose responsibilities are to haul and deliver freight to a customer. In this career, you usually drive a pickup truck with a trailer or other specialized hauling equipment, but you may also operate a larger vehicle. Your primary duties are to expedite delivery of equipment or freight to your client. For example, you may haul essential equipment to distant locations in oil fields or to remote areas where power stations or other utilities are in need of equipment to keep service running. Many hotshot drivers operate as independent contractors.

• Independent Courier

  Salary range: $35,200 - $59,200

  As an independent courier, your duties are to pick up, transport, and deliver documents, supplies, and packages. Some independent couriers make their deliveries via bike while other workers drive cars, vans, or delivery trucks. As an independent courier, you typically contract with your clients directly, rather than working through a courier service, although some couriers also find work through online services or job boards. To be an independent courier, you must have your own vehicle or another reliable method of transportation.

• Auto Mechanic

  Salary range: $40,900 - $57,800

  An Auto Mechanic is a trained professional skilled at making repairs and performing regular maintenance for automobiles. Some Mechanics specialize in specific areas, such as brake jobs, transmission repairs, or muffler repairs and replacements, while others work in general shops that service all repair and maintenance needs. The main job of a Mechanic is to diagnose the issue at hand and find the most timely and cost-effective solution for the customer.

• Paramedic

  Salary range: $41,300 - $57,300

  Paramedics are the most highly trained Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and are responsible for providing care to people in emergencies, usually medical or trauma situations. Paramedics are typically first responders at the emergency scene, and their duties may include taking charge, directing people what to do, and performing life-saving measures on patients.

• 911 Dispatcher

  Salary range: $38,000 - $57,300

  A 911 dispatcher takes emergency calls from the public and communicates with the proper authorities to dispatch the appropriate response personnel. In this role, your duties include finding out the nature of the emergency, getting the address from the caller, and sending the information to the relevant department. For example, if a call for a fire emergency comes in, you relay that information to the fire department and ensure that a fire crew responds to the scene. Similarly, if there is a medical emergency, you contact the EMTs who are in that geographic area. In smaller towns and rural areas, a dispatcher might work alone, while in larger cities, you often work in a larger team.

• Agronomist

  Salary range: $35,200 - $56,800

  An agronomist performs scientific research to find the best possible uses for plants, including ways to cultivate, genetically enhance, and utilize crops as sources of fuel. The field of agronomy includes the study of crop genetics and physiology, but has also expanded to incorporate elements of agriculture, meteorology, and soil conservation. You may choose to specialize in a particular field, but typical job duties for an agronomist include experimentation with crops to improve their quality and yield, with a primary goal of increasing food stores.

• Credentialing Specialist

  Salary range: $37,600 - $54,000

  Credentialing specialists verify the qualifications of the staff in healthcare organizations for healthcare organizations. This verification process ensures that doctors and other medical professionals provide accurate education and work histories, and confirms that they meet all local and federal licensing and regulation requirements before they are hired or contracted with a medical facility. Credentialing specialists are part of an organization's administrative staff; they review medical policies, process contracts, and facilitate audit reports to validate that certified medical professionals comply with credentialing procedures. They also update medical databases with information about a physician’s training or license and document when credentials must be renewed.

• Animal Science

  Salary range: $33,800 - $48,800

  Animal science jobs include veterinarians, biologists, agricultural researchers, and livestock management positions. There are also opportunities in nutrition, breeding, animal behavior, food processing and manufacturing, and education. Your duties in an animal science job may vary significantly depending on the position. As a veterinarian, for example, your primary responsibilities are to provide medical care for animals, but you may also aid in research to support clinical breakthroughs, herd health, and other facets of animal science.

• Phlebotomy

  Salary range: $33,800 - $44,600

  Phlebotomy is the drawing or collection of blood for medical purposes, typically for testing, donation, or transfusions. A phlebotomist is a medical professional who draws blood. Phlebotomists mostly collect venous blood samples through venipuncture, using an evacuated tube system, though other methods may be used depending on the patient and purpose. Finger and heal pricks are also common. Phlebotomists may use additional equipment, including antiseptic wipes, gloves, syringes, and bandages during the process. They may also be responsible for maintaining blood draw equipment, preparing patients, and labeling and tracking blood samples.

• Emt

  Salary range: $33,300 - $44,100

  Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) are typically the first medical professionals who respond to emergency calls, performing the first step in life-saving care to an injured or sick patient. They transport patients to hospital emergency rooms quickly and safely, and keep patients stable with the help of paramedics. EMTs are also responsible for moving patients between facilities.

• Certified Pharmacy Technician

  Salary range: $33,800 - $41,300

  A certified pharmacy technician works in a pharmacy or hospital to prepare and dispense prescription medications to patients. They work with a pharmacist to stock, organize, and label medications. They may use specialized pharmacy software solutions to receive and manage medications, which enables them to fill prescriptions while reducing labeling errors. Other duties include taking customer information and processing payments and insurance claims.

• Janitor

  Salary range: $26,800 - $34,300

  Janitors perform a number of cleaning duties at residential buildings, hospitals, schools, and other buildings for companies. Specific responsibilities may vary, depending on the type of business and size of the building. But their general janitorial duties include emptying trash cans, mopping and sweeping the floors, ensuring that the bathrooms are clean and paper products are replenished, and washing the windows. As a janitor, you also restock all the necessary cleaning supplies and equipment at your building and typically report to a supervisor regarding various issues related to cleaning. Some janitors work during regular business hours, while others work after closing.