Travel Nurse Salary in Iowa (2026)
Travel nurses in Iowa earn about $40/hr in taxable wages (our estimate), plus tax-free housing and meal stipends that can go up to $1,267–$1,267 per week depending on the city (GSA FY2027 ceiling). City pay for Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Davenport is below. Use the calculator to turn an actual offer into take-home pay.
Data reviewed July 3, 2026 · 50 states, 221 cities, FY2026 GSA rates
Pay figures on this page are our own editorial estimates, reviewed July 31, 2026 — not survey or government wage data. How we produce these numbers.
Calculate Your Pay in Iowa
Use our calculator to estimate your take-home pay in Iowa, including cost of living analysis to see your true discretionary income.
Travel Nurse Pay Breakdown
Estimate your take-home pay, taxes, and blended rate in seconds.
Federal tax applies to wages after the $16,100 standard deduction; FICA applies to all wages. Tax-free stipends are excluded from both.
Same-state assignment — you file one resident return in your home state.
State income tax not included
We do not yet have a sourced bracket schedule for this state, so we are not estimating its income tax. A wrong state figure is worse than none. Federal and FICA figures above are complete and sourced; your true net pay will be lower than gross by more than the amounts shown, so the take-home figures on this page are labelled "before state tax" rather than presented as final net pay.
Overtime (Optional)
Blended Hourly Rate
$75.19
Based on 36 hours in IA.
Gross Weekly Pay
$2,707
Taxable Weekly Income
$1,440
Estimated Weekly Taxes
$257
Federal + FICA only; state income tax not included
Net Before State Tax
$2,450
After federal + FICA; your state tax will lower this
Assignment Projections
13-Week Assignment
$31,848
Net before state tax
26-Week Assignment
$63,696
Net before state tax
Annual (52 weeks)
$127,392
Net before state tax
Take Home vs Taxes
Before state tax
$2,450
per week
Federal + FICA
$257
per week
Total Gross: $2,707 per week
🏠 Housing Stipend Analysis
Your Weekly Housing Stipend
$791
≈ $3,425/month
Est. 1BR Rent in Iowa
$800
Monthly average
✅ Potential Tax-Free Pocket Money
+$2,625
Your stipend covers rent with $2,625 left over each month.
Find apartments under $800/month in Des Moines:
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Average Travel Nurse Pay in Iowa
These are average pay rates for travel nurses in Iowa. Actual pay varies by specialty, experience, and facility. Use our pay calculator to estimate your specific take-home pay.
Hourly Rate
$40/hr
Weekly Gross
$1,600
Annual
$83,200
GSA Per Diem Rates for Iowa
Lodging
$113/night
Meals & Incidentals (M&IE)
$68/day
These rates determine the maximum tax-free stipend amounts for travel nurses in Iowa.
Tax Information for Iowa
Cost of Living in Iowa
Cost of Living Index
89.1
Below national average
Housing
Low
Utilities
Low
How IA Compares: Hourly Pay Estimates
Data source: these are TravelNurseCalc's own editorial estimates, last reviewed July 31, 2026. They are not survey, government or submitted-rate data, and they are quoted on a 40-hour full-time-equivalent basis, not a 36-hour contract. Actual pay varies by facility, experience and contract terms. See the methodology for what is sourced and what is ours.
IA estimate
$40/hr
Editorial estimate, 40-hour basis
Mean of all 50 state estimates
$47/hr
Simple average, not weighted by nurse headcount
Estimated Pay by Specialty
$55/hr
$54/hr
$56/hr
$52/hr
$48/hr
$53/hr
$54/hr
$55/hr
$49/hr
$51/hr
$54/hr
$50/hr
$130/hr
$62/hr
IA vs. the Highest-Estimate States
$58/hr
$58/hr
$56/hr
$56/hr
$55/hr
$40/hr
Want real submitted rates?
Offers submitted by nurses appear in the Agency Pay Tracker, and only once a segment has at least 30 submissions. Until then, use the calculator to turn any offer into take-home pay.
Popular Cities for Travel Nurses in Iowa
These are the most popular cities for travel nurse assignments in Iowa. Click on any city to see detailed pay information, cost of living, and job opportunities. Use our state comparison tool to compare pay across different states.
Council Bluffs
Avg Pay: $40/hr
1BR Rent: $1000/mo
View city guide →
Iowa City
Avg Pay: $51/hr
1BR Rent: $1150/mo
View city guide →
Waterloo
Avg Pay: $40/hr
1BR Rent: $1000/mo
View city guide →
View all state pay guides or search for specific cities using our calculator.
Iowa Pay by Nursing Specialty
Pay varies significantly by specialty. Select a specialty to see detailed salary data for Iowa:
ICU
$44/hr
~$1,584/wk
Very High DemandER
$43/hr
~$1,548/wk
Very High DemandOR
$45/hr
~$1,620/wk
High DemandLabor & Delivery
$42/hr
~$1,512/wk
High DemandMed-Surg
$40/hr
~$1,440/wk
Very High DemandPACU
$43/hr
~$1,548/wk
High DemandNICU
$43/hr
~$1,548/wk
High DemandPICU
$44/hr
~$1,584/wk
High DemandPsychiatric
$41/hr
~$1,476/wk
Moderate DemandOncology
$42/hr
~$1,512/wk
High DemandCardiac
$43/hr
~$1,548/wk
High DemandTelemetry
$42/hr
~$1,512/wk
High DemandCRNA
$94/hr
~$3,384/wk
Very High DemandCath Lab
$45/hr
~$1,620/wk
High DemandTop Hospitals in Iowa
- University of Iowa Hospitals
- MercyOne Des Moines
- UnityPoint Health
Nursing License Requirements for Iowa
Cost of Living in Iowa
Average 1BR Rent
$800/mo
Cost of Living Index
89.1
National avg = 100
Housing Cost
Low
Tip: Use our pay calculator to see how your take-home pay compares to the cost of living in Iowa. Consider that rent in Iowa is lower than the national average.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do travel nurses make in Iowa?
Our estimate for Iowa is about $40/hr in taxable wages (roughly $35–$50/hr depending on specialty and facility). On top of that, tax-free housing and meal stipends can be paid up to the GSA per diem ceiling: $1,267–$1,267 per week across Iowa's GSA localities for FY2027 (lodging plus M&IE, times seven). Your agency's actual stipend is usually below that ceiling, so check the contract.
What are the GSA rates for Iowa?
GSA sets per diem by locality, not by state. Across Iowa's 3 GSA localities for FY2027, lodging runs $113/night and Meals & Incidental Expenses (M&IE) $68/day — GSA publishes M&IE as a single combined rate, not a separate incidentals figure. These rates determine the maximum tax-free stipend amounts travel nurses can receive. For official rates, visit [GSA.gov](https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates).
Is Iowa tax-friendly for travel nurses?
Iowa does levy a state income tax — we don't publish a specific rate here, since we only compute exact state tax for the 9 states with no wage income tax at all (see our methodology). You'll pay federal tax and FICA on your taxable wages regardless of state.
What is the cost of living in Iowa?
The cost of living index in Iowa is 89.1, which is below the national average. Housing costs are low, and utilities are low.
Do I need a separate license to work in Iowa?
Iowa is part of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), so if you have a compact license, you can work here without additional licensing. The license costs $200 and typically takes 2-4 weeks to process.