Lowest published bachelor’s starting pay → highest published maximum across degree lanes in the districts below. Years and eligibility vary.
Average salary
$65,312NEA 2024-25
Starting salary
$48,139NEA 2024-25
State minimum
$50,000See state terms
Districts sourced
11Official schedules
Iowa teachers averaged $65,312 in 2024-25 per NEA, 30th in the nation, and the average starting salary was $48,139.
Iowa teachers averaged $65,312 in 2024-25 per NEA, 30th in the nation, and the average starting salary was $48,139. State law now sets a $50,000 minimum for teachers with under 12 years of experience and $62,000 for those with 12 or more. Among the districts with posted schedules, bachelor's starting pay runs from $50,000 in Iowa City, Sioux City and Cedar Rapids to $53,832 in Johnston (2026-27), and Johnston has the highest master's maximum, $86,967.
Pleasant Valley Community School District · 2026-27 · Annual base salary by published step. Darker cells indicate higher pay; every cell shows its amount.
Ranked by highest published maximum across degree lanes. Annual base pay, by education level. Years and contract terms can differ; open each schedule before comparing.
Select a column heading to sort. Scroll the table horizontally for more columns. Missing values are marked “Not published”.
Largest districts included in this guide, sorted by published top pay. Starting pay is the bachelor’s entry rate; top pay is the highest published maximum across degree lanes.
━ Bachelor’s start▨ Top pay · all degree lanes
West Des Moines Community Schools2026-27
BA start $52,027
Top $94,556
Johnston Community School District2026-27
BA start $53,832
Top $86,967
Council Bluffs Community School District2025-26
BA start $50,012
Top $85,284
Pleasant Valley Community School District2026-27
BA start $50,736
Top $83,691
Des Moines Public Schools2026-27
BA start $50,569
Top $83,640
Sioux City Community School District2026-27
BA start $50,000
Top $82,504
Davenport Community School District2025-26
BA start $50,905
Top $80,524
Iowa City Community School District2026-27
BA start $50,000
Top $80,053
Cedar Rapids Community School District2026-27
BA start $50,000
Top Not published
Waukee Community School DistrictYear not published
Schedule not published
Ankeny Community School District2025-26
Schedule not published
Waterloo Community School DistrictYear not published
Schedule not published
Dubuque Community School DistrictYear not published
Schedule not published
Annual base salary on a shared zero-based scale. Top pay can require advanced qualifications and many years of service. Missing values are not zero.View district chart data
Published district pay
District
Year
BA start
Top pay
West Des Moines Community Schools
2026-27
$52,027
$94,556
Johnston Community School District
2026-27
$53,832
$86,967
Council Bluffs Community School District
2025-26
$50,012
$85,284
Pleasant Valley Community School District
2026-27
$50,736
$83,691
Des Moines Public Schools
2026-27
$50,569
$83,640
Sioux City Community School District
2026-27
$50,000
$82,504
Davenport Community School District
2025-26
$50,905
$80,524
Iowa City Community School District
2026-27
$50,000
$80,053
Cedar Rapids Community School District
2026-27
$50,000
Not published
Waukee Community School District
Not published
Not published
Not published
Ankeny Community School District
2025-26
Not published
Not published
Waterloo Community School District
Not published
Not published
Not published
Dubuque Community School District
Not published
Not published
Not published
Experience & progression
How pay grows by step
Bachelor’s lane · 5 districts with numeric step data
Iowa City Community School District2026-27
Sioux City Community School District2026-27
Davenport Community School District2025-26
West Des Moines Community Schools2026-27
Johnston Community School District2026-27
Lines connect published observations, not estimated salaries for missing steps. A step is not always a year of service. District placement rules and schedule years vary.View step progression data
Average pay describes the workforce; a minimum is a floor subject to state rules. These measures can cover different years and are not equivalent starting offers.View salary context data
State and national salary measures
Measure
Amount
Context
Iowa average
$65,312
NEA 2024-25
State minimum
$50,000
See state minimum terms below
National average
$74,495
Reporting year not published
State minimum salary
$50,000
Iowa has no statewide salary schedule. Iowa Code section 284.17 sets a pay floor: from the fiscal year that began July 1, 2025, a full-time teacher with under 12 years of experience must earn at least $50,000, and one with 12 or more years at least $62,000 (2024-25: $47,500 and $60,000). Most district schedules include the state Teacher Salary Supplement (TSS); notes say where a schedule is base-only. NEA figures are FY 2024-25. Districts are ranked by 2025-26 Total PK-12 enrollment from the Iowa Department of Education. Waukee, Ankeny, Waterloo and Dubuque post no usable schedule and Cedar Rapids posts starting pay only, so Council Bluffs (#11), Johnston (#14) and Pleasant Valley (#15) were added; Southeast Polk (#12) posts no schedule and Linn-Mar (#13) posts only an outdated 2023-24 one.
Match the school year, degree lane and credited experience. The published maximum is not a promise of starting placement. Confirm contract days, supplements and eligibility in each district’s official schedule.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find Iowa district salary schedules?
Use the district comparison table on this page to open a district guide and its official salary schedule. Each source is linked with a verification date.
Does a master’s degree change the salary?
Check the master’s lane in the district’s published schedule. Degree supplements and placement rules vary; a missing value here does not mean there is no additional pay.
