How Much Does a Physician Assistant Make in Iowa in 2026?

A typical Physician Assistant in Iowa earns about $64.79 per hour ($134,770 per year), per the latest government wage data (May 2025). That works out to roughly $11,231 a month or $2,592 a week, based on the annual figure. These figures represent typical pay across the state, before accounting for city, employer, or experience.

That is about 1% below the national typical pay of $135,880 a year, a modest gap that puts Iowa 23rd out of 51 states and territories ranked by pay. Lower pay in Iowa tracks with a lower cost of living in much of the state compared with higher-cost coastal markets. Iowa employs about 1,200 Physician Assistants, a workforce large enough to produce steady local pay data across its cities.

Entry-level positions in Iowa typically offer around $49.20 an hour ($102,330 a year), reflecting pay for those just starting out in the role. As Physician Assistants gain experience, pay tends to move up toward the statewide typical figure of $134,770 within a few years. Location, employer type, and specialty all play a part in how quickly that happens.

Experienced Physician Assistants in Iowa often earn upwards of $76.90 an hour ($159,950 a year), and the top 10% of earners make over $87.95 an hour ($182,940 a year). That leaves a spread of $80,610 between entry-level and top pay. Setting, years of experience, and city all factor into where an individual lands within that range.

Iowa's typical pay for Physician Assistants has climbed from $95,280 in 2015 to $134,770 in 2025, a gain of $39,490. That amounts to a 41% rise over the decade. Pay moved upward nearly every year in that span, with the steepest gains in the years just after 2015.

That 41% increase outpaces the national rise of 38% over the same ten years, a slightly faster climb than the country saw as a whole. For someone starting a Physician Assistant career in Iowa now, pay has moved up steadily over the past decade, though past growth is not a guarantee of future gains.

Pay runs highest in the Davenport metro area, where Physician Assistants earn $137,420 a year, about 2% above the statewide figure. Iowa City follows closely at $134,770, right in line with the state figure, while West Des Moines and Des Moines both post $133,830. These figures reflect each city's full metro area rather than just the city center.

Dubuque sits at the lower end, with typical pay of $126,050 a year, putting the spread between the highest- and lowest-paying Iowa cities at $11,370. West Des Moines and Des Moines carry the largest Physician Assistant workforce among the state's metro areas, each with about 340 employed. Pay differences between Iowa cities are modest and generally track differences in local living costs.

Among Iowa's neighbors, Minnesota pays the most at $141,190 a year, about 5% above Iowa's figure. Missouri is nearly even at $135,130, while Wisconsin ($133,950), South Dakota ($133,200), and Nebraska ($133,040) each run about 1% below Iowa. Illinois pays the least of the group at $131,950, about 2% below Iowa. Physician Assistant licenses can often be transferred or endorsed between neighboring states, simplifying a move across state lines.

Physician Assistants in Iowa typically earn $134,770 a year, a figure that has risen 41% over the past decade. Pay in the state runs slightly below the national figure but has kept pace with broader wage growth across the country. Readers considering the field can check Iowa's licensing and registry requirements for specific steps, and compare local figures on individual city pages for a closer look at pay in a particular area.