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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national mean annual salary for nurse practitioners is $137,300. Iowa’s annual mean wage for nurse practitioners is $136,940, more than 6% less than the national mean.
Iowa may not be the highest paying state for nurse practitioners, but demand for these workers is high and expected to keep growing. Nurse Practitioner jobs in Iowa is projected to grow 47.7% from 2024 to 2034 (BLS Employment Projections).
| Metro Area | # Employed | Mean Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Ames, IA | 70 | $130,780 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 240 | $134,750 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 390 | $132,620 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 820 | $138,820 |
| Dubuque, IA | 130 | $136,510 |
| Iowa City, IA | 330 | $134,050 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 150 | $135,460 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | 260 | $134,890 | Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics - 2025 |
| Metro Area | # Employed | Mean Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | 180 | $134,710 |
| Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | 270 | $134,420 |
| Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | 190 | $146,620 |
| Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | 300 | $133,980 | Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics - 2025 |
To be employed as a nurse practitioner in the United States, you must first earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), a master’s or doctorate in an advanced practice nursing program, and pass a national nurse practitioner board certification exam. If you currently work or intend to work as a nurse practitioner in “The Buckeye State,” you may wonder how to go about increasing nurse practitioner salary in Iowa.
A Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is one way of boosting salary potential as a nurse practitioner in Iowa. Take, for example, the hybrid DNP-Family Nurse Practitioner program at the University of Iowa, the Doctor of Nursing Practice-Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program at Clarke University, or the online Direct Patient Care DNP Track at Morningside University. Or you can explore all the DNP programs offered in Iowa on the Iowa Nurse Practitioner Degree Programs page.
Post-Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN) certificates are also an excellent way to improve your marketability and earnings. Following are some of the best post-master’s certificates for nurse practitioners in Iowa:
Nurse practitioners in Iowa need to renew their licenses every three years (after the first two years) and complete a minimum of 36 hours of continuing education (CE). Expanding your knowledge and expertise through CE courses is a great way to increase your nurse practitioner salary in Iowa. The Iowa Board of Nursing provides an approved list of CE providers where you can find dozens of options for in-person or online CE opportunities.
The median pay for nurse practitioners in Iowa may be slightly below the national average, but as a full practice state, Iowa offers more opportunities for NPs than may be available in more restrictive locales. NPs working in states with full practice authority have the opportunity to take on senior-level roles and the autonomy, greater responsibility, and higher salaries that accompany them.
Joining a professional association, such as the Iowa Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, Iowa Nurse Practitioner Society, or the American Association of Nurse Practitioners will open networking doors and give you a heads up about job openings to further your career.
Thanks to ample graduate-level educational opportunities, continuing education courses, and professional associations, increasing nurse practitioner salary in Iowa is easily achievable.
