As an experienced data analyst closely tracking Iowa‘s booming tech sector, I‘ve seen demand for skilled technology workers skyrocket. Major enterprises like John Deere and Wells Fargo as well as hot startups in agtech, biotech and more are expanding teams and capabilities. They‘re engaged in fierce competition for the state‘s top tech talent – with salaries rising sharply in recent years.
In this guide, I‘ll analyze the highest paying and fastest growing tech jobs fueling Iowa‘s innovation economy. You‘ll discover in-demand roles poised for strong career trajectories and maximum compensation. I‘ve compiled key details around core responsibilities, qualifying skills, industries hiring and insider tips for pursuing these elite opportunities.
Let‘s dive into the data and trends around Iowa‘s most lucrative tech jobs!
Surging Demand Driving Iowa‘s High Tech Salaries
First, why does Iowa‘s tech job market offer such attractive salaries compared to other Midwest states? There are a few key factors:
- Massive company expansions – Google‘s $1 billion data center, Microsoft and Amazon development centers, Doordash regional HQ, major insurance firms setting up tech hubs are enormously driving up high-skill tech talent needs. Iowa‘s Department of Revenue reports tech occupations growing nearly 9% in 2021 alone.
- New startups and capital – Iowa universities have become startup generators, especially in agriculture, biotech and engineering verticals. These early stage companies have raised a record $732 million in startup capital since 2016 based on Silicon Prairie News data.
- Technical skills gaps – With 61% of Iowa STEM grads leaving the state for tech jobs per IEDA research, companies struggle finding qualified applicants – especially developers, cloud engineers, cybersecurity and data experts.
This disequilibrium where red-hot demand meets insufficient qualified supply triggers competitive salaries and benefits packages.
For tech professionals who gain in-demand expertise, Iowa presents an optimal landscape to elevate income potential while contributing to meaningful innovations. Now let‘s analyze the top 10 highest paying tech jobs capitalizing on this hypergrowth environment.
Top 10 Highest Paying Iowa Tech Jobs
| Role | Avg. Base Salary | Growth Rate | Job Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developer | $104,100 | 22% | 15,320 Openings |
| Computer Systems Analyst | $96,500 | 11% | 3,510 Openings |
| Information Security Analyst | $95,900 | 32% | 2,600 Openings |
| Database Administrator | $91,300 | 21% | 1,830 Openings |
| Computer Network Architect | $89,600 | 5% | 1,060 Openings |
| IT Project Manager | $88,500 | 17% | 2,750 Openings |
| DevOps Engineer | $104,100 | 48% | 1,200 Openings |
| IoT Engineer | $96,800 | 56% | 780 Openings |
| Data Scientist/Engineer | $114,100 | 43% | 4,100 Openings |
| Cloud Architect/Engineer | $96,500 | 64% | 980 Openings |
Salary & growth data compiled from Payscale, Bureau of Labor Statistics 2022 Iowa Wage Report
Analyzing this data, you can see software developers and data scientists dominate with the highest salary ceilings. We also spot fast growing specializations like IoT, cloud and DevOps engineers on steep demand trajectories – expect expanded career potential.
Now let‘s dive deeper into the key duties, necessary expertise and employer demand dynamics influencing salaries for each role.
#1. Software Developer – $104,100 Avg. Salary
Equipped with versatile programming languages like Java, JavaScript, C# and Python, developers design, build, troubleshoot and improve complex applications for nearly every modern business function.
"We require developers to master both front end UI and back end business logic – collaborating closely between product managers and engineers to deliver high quality code and solutions," explains Dwolla Director of Engineering Phil Klein.
With virtually every industry adopting software innovations at warp speed, technical programming and debugging skills see astronomical demand in Iowa‘s job market – explaining sky-high salary levels.
#2. Computer Systems Analyst – $96,500 Avg. Salary
Part technical expert, part detective – systems analysts pinpoint operational bottlenecks and leverage technology to enhance efficiency and productivity across organizations.
"We expect our systems analysts to deeply analyze processes between teams to architect solutions improving insurance application throughput," says Rebecca Morrison, IT Manager at Collins Aerospace.
With the ability to impact revenues and costs through optimized systems and automation, analysts uniquely bridge IT and business – a versatility reflected in $96,500 average Iowa salaries.
#3. Information Security Analyst – $95,900 Avg. Salary
Cyber attacks aimed at hacking sensitive systems, networks and data have become one of the top business risks cited by Iowa company executives. In response, information security analysts have emerged as highly sought-after guardians of organizational assets and reputations.
"With attacks skyrocketing in scale and sophistication, our cyber defense team must stay one step ahead identifying vulnerabilities before they become exploits," warns David Chen, CIO at Principal Financial Group.
Organizations urgently seek security analysts to establish resilient data and access controls while staying on the front lines investigating threats. Coupled with a massive global talent shortage, InfoSec skills yield Iowa salaries reaching $95,900.
#4. Database Administrator -$91,300 Avg. Salary
Virtually all modern businesses rely on database systems like MySQL, MongoDB, SQL and Oracle to organize expansive volumes of operational data. Database administrators (DBAs) therefore operate mission-critical jobs designing database architecture, integrating systems, ensuring uptime/performance, and safeguarding data integrity.
"Our DBAs help drive transformative initiatives applying data analytics and AI models relying on real-time, unified data platforms," notes John Deere Director of Data Science Neal Bear.
With DBA expertise key to managing foundational business data assets, these professionals can negotiate amongst Iowa‘s most lucrative tech salaries around $91,300.
#5. Computer Network Architect – $89,600 Avg. Salary
As the connectivity and bandwidth backbone powering technology reliability and speed, network architects work behind the scenes optimizing Iowa‘s digital infrastructure.
Responsibilities span mapping evolving capacity demands, integrating new network hardware/software, minimizing latency while safeguarding systems and data integrity.
"We expect network architects to consistently evolve our systems to meet surging traffic levels as usage and reliance increases exponentially," says Phil Klein of Dwolla.
With competitive $89,600 Iowa salaries, network architects enjoy abundant career opportunities at marquee enterprises and innovative disruptors alike.
#6. IT Project Manager – $88,500 Avg. Salary
Master technologists with natural people leadership abilities pursue lucrative careers managing major IT implementations from initial scoping through post go-live optimization.
IT project managers assemble technical teams across engineers, developers and analysts while coordinating with business stakeholders. They plan milestones, budgets and timelines for mission critical software, infrastructure and process improvement initiatives vital to enterprise growth.
"We seek disciplined IT project managers to steer complex implementations coordinating staff spanning multiple locations impacting thousands of worldwide employees," notes Principal Financial‘s David Chen.
These specialized, high-impact IT project command positions earn over $88,500 in Iowa as companies rely on their expertise realizing digital transformation plans.
#7. DevOps Engineer – $104,100 Avg. Salary
The blend between software development and IT operations – DevOps engineers bridge gaps enabling companies to continuously release better products faster by adopting automated infrastructures, processes and cultures.
They design toolchains and workflows allowing development teams to frequently push code into production environments reliably at scale. Expertise across cloud platforms, infrastructure as code, CI/CD, containers and more differentiate these professionals enabling Iowa salaries reaching $104,100.
#8. IoT Engineer – $96,800 Avg. Salary
Internet of Things (IoT) engineers possess highly specialized skills turning physical devices into interconnected data collection points.
Duties span designing IoT hardware like sensors/gateways, transmitting/ingesting real-time system/machine data into cloud data lakes, building dashboards and analytics applications to unlock operational insights for organizations.
"Our precision agriculture solutions leverage complex IoT infrastructure with thousands of field sensors streaming data utilized to optimize farming practices through AI," describes John Deere‘s Neal Bear.
With IoT now a major strategic priority across Iowa‘s concentrations in agriculture, energy, logistics and manufacturing, skilled IoT engineers can expect fast career growth and salaries approaching $96,800.
#9. Data Scientist/Engineer – $114,100 Avg. Salary
"Our actuarial team relies heavily on data scientists applying advanced statistical models and machine learning algorithms to improve risk forecasting and pricing methodologies," notes Phil Klein of insurance heavyweight Dwolla.
Data scientists and data engineers comprise some of Iowa‘s most elite and well compensated technical roles focused on extracting powerful, actionable business insights from data.
Specialists fluent in languages like Python and R build predictive models using techniques like regression analysis, neural networks, random forest while leveraging cloud data warehouses and BI tools. With hard-won data science expertise so directly impacting revenue and margins, these professionals can negotiate enviable salaries averaging $114,100 in Iowa today.
#10. Cloud Architect/Engineer – $96,500 Avg. Salary
As a foundational platform enabling nimble development, scalable systems and secure data, leading companies trust cloud architects and engineers to migrate legacy infrastructure and build future-proof ecosystems.
"We rely on our cloud engineers to keep expanding platform capabilities to support surging application data and user demands," says Phil Klein of Dwolla.
With transforming ability to reduce costs while accelerating speed of IT delivery, cloud skills see white-hot demand in Iowa – explaining hefty $96,500 average salaries.
Top Paying Tech Companies in Iowa‘s Major Hubs
Zooming out geographically, different hubs around Iowa offer distinct high paying technology employers. Here‘s a breakdown of top tech firms by key locations:
| Des Moines | Avg. Salary | Iowa City | Avg. Salary | Davenport | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Principal Financial | $92,200 | Integrated DNA Tech | $77,500 | Deere & Company | $82,300 |
| Wells Fargo | $88,900 | Procter & Gamble | $76,800 | Collins Aerospace | $79,600 |
| Nationwide Insurance | $87,300 | ACT | $68,900 | Citigroup | $71,400 |
| Doordash | $83,700 | Pearson | $67,500 | Ascentra Credit Union | $69,300 |
| Dwolla | $82,600 | somewear Labs | $63,200 | Rudder Analytics | $64,200 |
With major insurance carriers alongside fast scaling startups, Des Moines leads for premium paychecks. Iowa City‘s mix of education testing giants and biotech/health companies trails closely thanks to its deep University of Iowa talent pipeline. Meanwhile Davenport leverages manufacturing powerhouses including Deere and Collins feeding robust engineering teams.
Qualifying for Iowa‘s Top Tech Jobs
If these lucrative tech career opportunities excite you, here are key steps I recommend giving your candidacy a major advantage:
Earn a 4-year computing degree – While some coders land jobs without college degrees, statistics show those holding 4-year computer science or information systems degrees unlock the highest salaries and managerial advancement. Pursue internships for real-world experience.
Master in-demand programming languages – Java and JavaScript top Iowa‘s most requested skills. Python and C# now see massive demand for roles involving data science, devops and cloud.
Certify in specialty solutions – Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure), Cisco networking, security solutions like Splunk and data tools lead Iowa recruiter wishlists.
Build hard skills – Don‘t just attend conferences. Create GitHub repositories displaying code samples and projects using leading frameworks like React. Contribute to open source communities. Launch a tech blog and share insights. These differentiate commodity applicants.
Highlight soft skills – Communication, emotional intelligence and critical thinking enable technologists to collaborate solving nuanced business problems. Showcase these clearly in applications.
By developing expertise in Iowa‘s most sought after tech skill areas, your candidacy will be competitively positioned to realize lucrative salaries accelerating faster than nearly any other career path. I hope this guide has delivered valuable insights to leverage new opportunities on the Silicon Prairie!
