Des Moines is home to tech and media analytic companies such as Analytics Media Group, which got its start working with big data to find television viewing and web browsing habits of voters during Obama’s presidential campaign.
Iowa continues to attract highly skilled data science professionals by offering high employment and salary prospects. In fact, according to Iowa Workforce Development, careers linked to data science were identified as being among the state’s top 50 high-demand, high salary occupations for 2012-2020.
Starting Salary Ranges for Data Scientist in Iowa’s Major Cities
Iowa’s inexpensive properties and renewable energy sources are attracting megawatt global corporations like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft to invest billions in data centers throughout the state. In 2015, The Des Moines Register reported that Google alone had spent $2.5 billion constructing a data farm in Council Bluffs to sustain cloud data storage. At that time, Facebook was also building a $1 billion data center in Altoona, while Microsoft was busy spending $2 billion on two data centers in Des Moines. For data scientists working statewide, these burgeoning big data centers continue representing unprecedented access to high paying jobs.
Data scientists may also find generous salary prospects available in Cedar Rapids. NerdWallet, a personal finance and information service company, named the city the #12 Best Place for Tech Jobs in 2015. That year, Cedar Rapids had approximately 40 tech employees for every 1,000 jobs and the average salary for these tech workers was roughly $80,000. However, data scientists today can expect to earn way beyond this average. In fact, as of 2016 the average starting salary for data scientists in Cedar Rapids was between $102,000 and $145,000.
Students pursuing a career in data science likewise find Iowa’s nurturing tech environment enticing due to programs like Experience Iowa Technology (EIT). The Technology Association of Iowa developed EIT to provide a cost-free initiative for Iowa college students interested in networking with the state’s tech industry leaders, startup company members, and tech business VIPs. By taking advantage of Iowa’s tech initiatives like EIT, students can foster relationships in the early stages of their careers to land competitive internships and future high-salaried positions.
In 2016, Robert Half Technology released the following starting salary ranges for data scientists employed in Iowa’s biggest cities. As an IT staffing company, Robert Half Technology gathered these salary figures from the numerous job placements they arranged for data scientists in recent years. All featured salary information excludes bonuses and other monetary rewards.
Des Moines Area
- Des Moines: $109,000-$154,000
- Ames: $93,000-$132,000
- Cedar Falls: $95,000-$134,000
- Waterloo: $95,000-$134,000
- Cedar Rapids: $102,000-$145,000
Dubuque Area
- Dubuque: $87,000-$123,000
- Davenport: $104,000-$146,000
Other Cities
- Iowa City: $95,000-$134,000
- Council Bluffs: $96,000-$135,000
- Sioux City: $90,000-$128,000
Salary Ranges for Data Science Professionals in Iowa
In 2014, Iowa’s Labor Market Division and the United States Department of Labor reported that data science workers in Iowa earned salaries that differed considerably according to area of specialization and industry:
Statistical Modeling
- $102,000
Operations Research
- $109,000
Financial Services
- $117,300
Epidemiology/Public Health
- $119,700
Salary Data for Iowa’s Statistical Modeling Specialists
In 2014 the United States Department of Labor reported that statistical modeling specialists working throughout the Des Moines-West Des Moines area earned a 90th percentile average salary $93,350
The US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics information shown here reflects salary data for broad occupational classifications that include data scientists. These estimates are expressed as 90th percentile averages to reflect the fact that data scientists are recognized as the top earners within each classification.