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$62,000 USD is the average salary for an Executive Assistant in Des Moines, IA, based on aggregated data from Salary.com, ZipRecruiter, and Randstad covering 2024-2026. This page covers the full compensation spectrum - from entry-level admin support roles through senior C-suite business partner positions - and explains why factors like support level, calendar complexity, travel coordination, board exposure, and industry premium can push pay well above or below that midpoint. Ranges vary significantly by employer type, executive seniority supported, and specialized skill set.
Pay steps up sharply when you move from director-level to C-suite support, and again when board exposure and multi-principal coordination are in scope.
$42,000 - $55,000 USD
Handles general scheduling, email triage, and travel booking for a team or a single mid-level manager, typically in a corporate or nonprofit setting.
$55,000 - $72,000 USD
Supports a VP or director with full calendar ownership, domestic travel logistics, and expense management inside a mid-size or large Des Moines employer.
$72,000 - $90,000 USD
Manages complex, multi-timezone travel itineraries and board prep for a C-suite executive, often serving as a de facto chief of staff on tactical matters.
$90,000 - $105,000 USD
Partners directly with the CEO or board-level principals at a major Des Moines insurer or financial institution, owning strategic scheduling, board materials, and executive communications.
Many Des Moines EAs plateau in the $55,000-$65,000 band because their resume describes tasks rather than impact - executive time saved, projects unblocked, board meetings executed without incident. Shifting that framing, and targeting the right industry, is what closes the gap.
Higher-paying candidates typically show:
The largest market in Iowa with the deepest bench of corporate and financial services employers, making it the best city in the state for EA career progression and top-of-band pay.
Home to Athene, EMC Insurance, and Wells Fargo operations, West Des Moines tracks closely with Des Moines proper and is the second-strongest EA market in the state.
A fast-growing suburb with light manufacturing and healthcare employers; EA pay is solidly mid-market but lacks the financial services premium of Des Moines.
Supports a mix of insurance, agriculture, and technology companies including Transamerica and Quaker Oats operations; C-suite EA roles reach the low-to-mid $80,000s.
Dominated by the University of Iowa and UI Health Care, pay is capped by public-sector compression and top EA roles typically stay below $70,000.
Manufacturing and agribusiness drive EA demand here; ZipRecruiter data places Sioux City slightly above the Iowa state average for senior administrative roles.
Most Des Moines EA roles at financial services and insurance firms include an annual bonus of 5-12% of base salary. Profit-sharing programs at firms like Principal Financial can add $2,000-$8,000 annually. These amounts are excluded from all base-salary figures on this page.
The Des Moines EA market is predominantly on-site for senior roles because C-suite and board support requires physical presence. Hybrid arrangements exist at the VP-level but full-remote EA positions at Des Moines employers are rare and typically sit at the lower end of each tier's range.
Financial services and insurance EAs in Des Moines earn noticeably more than counterparts in nonprofit, government, and healthcare settings. Targeting a private-sector financial firm over a public agency can be worth $8,000-$18,000 in base salary for equivalent experience.
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Answers to the most common questions about Executive Assistant compensation in Des Moines, IA, US.
The average Executive Assistant salary in Des Moines is approximately $61,000-$63,000 USD per year based on 2024-2026 data from Salary.com and ZipRecruiter. The broader range stretches from roughly $42,000 for entry-level roles to $105,000 for senior C-suite business partners at major financial services firms. Base salary only; excludes bonus and profit-sharing.
Senior Executive Assistants supporting C-suite principals in Des Moines typically earn $72,000-$90,000 USD. Those in Staff or Business Partner roles at large insurers or financial institutions can reach $90,000-$105,000. ZipRecruiter placed the average Senior Executive Assistant in Des Moines at roughly $83,591 as of late 2024.
Financial services and insurance employers tend to pay the highest EA salaries in Des Moines. Principal Financial Group, Athene, EMC Insurance, and Nationwide (with operations in Des Moines) are among the firms where senior EA roles reach the upper end of the local pay range. Private-sector employers consistently out-pay nonprofit and government entities in this role.
Yes, significantly. Supporting a CEO or CFO versus a VP or director is one of the strongest single predictors of EA pay in the Des Moines market. The jump from director-level to C-suite support can be worth $15,000-$25,000 in base salary, and roles with board-meeting responsibility add an additional premium on top of that.
High-volume domestic and international travel coordination is explicitly cited in higher-paying Des Moines EA postings as a differentiating skill. EAs who own complex multi-stop itineraries, manage corporate travel budgets, and coordinate conference logistics tend to sit in the upper half of each experience tier's salary band.
Des Moines has a moderate EA job market. Glassdoor listed active postings at Principal Financial Group, Athene, Children and Families of Iowa, and Kemin as of early 2026. ZipRecruiter noted the Iowa EA market overall is not highly active, so targeting specific high-paying employers directly is more effective than broad job-board applications.
Board governance platform proficiency (Diligent, BoardEffect), advanced Microsoft 365 automation, and documented C-suite support scope are the highest-value skills in Des Moines EA postings. Salary.com data indicates that collaboration and onboarding skills can each boost an EA I salary by 10-16% at the entry level.
For experienced EAs with strong C-suite and board-support credentials, hybrid or remote roles at national firms with Iowa operations can push total comp above what local postings offer. However, the most senior Des Moines EA roles at major insurers and financial firms typically require on-site presence, so the remote premium applies mostly to mid-career and VP-support levels.
Explore how Executive Assistant compensation compares to other administrative and office support roles across similar markets and skill levels.
| Job title | Entry Level | Mid-Career | Senior | Staff / Business Partner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Assistant | $45K - $60K USD | $60K - $78K USD | $78K - $98K USD | $98K - $118K USD |
| Executive Assistant | $40K - $50K CAD | $50K - $65K CAD | $65K - $78K CAD | $78K - $88K CAD |
| Administrative Assistant | $36,000 - $44,000 CAD | $44,000 - $56,000 CAD | $56,000 - $68,000 CAD | $68,000 - $75,000 CAD |
| Office Manager | $42K - $52K CAD | $52K - $68K CAD | $68K - $82K CAD | $82K - $95K CAD |
| HR Assistant | $36K - $44K USD | $44K - $54K USD | $54K - $62K USD | $62K - $68K USD |
| Operations Coordinator | $38,000 - $46,000 USD | $46,000 - $60,000 USD | $60,000 - $72,000 USD | $72,000 - $78,000 USD |
| Legal Administrative Assistant | $40K - $48K CAD | $48K - $60K CAD | $60K - $70K CAD | $70K - $75K CAD |
| Medical Office Assistant | $36K - $43K CAD | $43K - $52K CAD | $52K - $60K CAD | $60K - $67K CAD |
Build on your salary knowledge with guides tailored to executive assistant roles and career advancement strategies.
Learn how to structure your resume to highlight the specific skills and experience that justify higher salaries in executive assistant positions.
Read article →Discover the high-value keywords that executive assistants should emphasize to position themselves competitively within their salary range.
Read article →Master proven negotiation tactics to ensure you secure compensation aligned with your experience level and the Des Moines market data.
Read article →Understand how to craft a distinctive resume that communicates your unique value proposition and positions you for top-tier executive assistant roles.
Read article →Salary ranges on this page were compiled by cross-referencing multiple public aggregator databases and job-posting data sets for Des Moines, IA and the state of Iowa, covering reported data from late 2024 through early 2026. Where sources disagreed, figures were averaged or noted as ranges to reflect genuine market variance.
These representative perspectives are drawn from public professional forums and employer-review platforms covering 2024-2025, reflecting real pay and work-condition conversations in the Iowa EA community.
“Supporting the CFO finally got me to $80K here in Des Moines - the jump from VP support was real.”
Confirms the meaningful pay step-up that comes with moving from VP-level to C-suite support, consistent with the senior tier range on this page.
“Salary is competitive for Iowa but you earn it - the calendar complexity and board prep is no joke.”
Reflects how top-of-band pay at major Des Moines financial firms comes with genuinely demanding scope, including board preparation and executive-level calendar ownership.
“Insurance companies in Des Moines pay noticeably more than nonprofits for the same EA title and experience.”
Validates the industry premium finding: financial services and insurance employers offer meaningfully higher EA base salaries than nonprofit or government counterparts in the same city.
“Travel coordination ownership was the skill that finally got me interviews at the higher-paying firms.”
Highlights that demonstrated travel-logistics expertise is a differentiating factor when targeting senior EA roles at large Des Moines employers.
Principal Financial Group · Athene · EMC Insurance · Nationwide · Kemin Industries · Children and Families of Iowa · Iowa Health System (UnityPoint Health) · Wells Fargo (West Des Moines) · State of Iowa · Bankers Trust · Meredith Corporation · Holmes Murphy
Salary.com - Executive Assistant I Salary in Des Moines, IA (February 2026). Reports average of $61,358 with range $47,451-$74,750. Salary.com - EA I Des Moines
ZipRecruiter - Executive Assistant Salary in Des Moines, IA (December 2024). Reports average of $62,904 with senior EA average of $83,591. ZipRecruiter - EA Des Moines
ZipRecruiter - Executive Assistant Salary in Iowa statewide (January 2025). Reports average of $60,541 with top earners at $85,942-$96,274. ZipRecruiter - EA Iowa
Randstad USA - Executive Assistant salaries in Des Moines, IA. Reports average of $33/hr ($68,640 annualized) with range $27-$39/hr. Randstad - EA Des Moines
Salary.com - Executive Assistant III Salary in Iowa (March 2025). Reports average of $87,692 with range $68,648-$110,001 for senior tiers. Salary.com - EA III Iowa
Glassdoor - Administrative Assistant salaries in Iowa (September 2025). Reports average $51,753 with top earners at $73,494; Financial Services median $53,301, Insurance median $51,777. Glassdoor - Admin Iowa