Accountant Salary in Iowa (2026)
Average Accountant pay in Iowa
$83,640/year
≈ $40/hour before tax
After tax (single filer)
$65,144/year
$5,429/month · effective tax rate 22.11%
- Federal $9,571
- State $2,527
- FICA $6,398
- Take-home
Pay by role in Iowa
- Senior Manager (Big 4 Des Moines)$118,000–$185,000+ bonus
- Senior Manager (Eide Bailly / RSM / CLA)$108,000–$165,000+ bonus
- Senior Manager (Honkamp / Forvis / LWBJ)$95,000–$148,000+ bonus
- Senior Manager (Industry / Principal / John Deere)$108,000–$168,000+ TC
- Senior Tax Manager$112,000–$172,000+ bonus
- Senior Audit Manager (Financial Services)$115,000–$178,000+ bonus
See the full tax breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
Annual Take-Home Pay | $65,144 |
Monthly Take-Home Pay | $5,429 |
Biweekly Take-Home Pay | $2,506 |
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year | $31/hr |
Federal Tax | $9,571 |
State Tax | $2,527 |
FICA Taxes | $6,398 |
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary | 22.11% |
Not all Accountants earn the same — not even close
Iowa's accountant market is anchored by Eide Bailly LLP Des Moines (Fargo-HQ but substantial Des Moines + Sioux Falls + Iowa City regional offices + top-25 US CPA firm), RSM US LLP Des Moines (substantial RSM IA middle-market practice), CliftonLarsonAllen CLA Des Moines (Minneapolis-HQ + substantial CLA IA), Honkamp Krueger Dubuque (substantial regional IA CPA), Forvis Mazars (post-2024 Forvis + Mazars combination former BKD CPAs + substantial Iowa offices), LWBJ Des Moines + the substantial IA regional CPA, Big 4 Des Moines (Deloitte + PwC + EY + KPMG Des Moines + the substantial Big 4 Principal Financial + Wells Fargo + John Deere audit), Principal Financial + Athene + Sammons + EMC Insurance corporate accounting, IRS West Des Moines + Iowa Department of Revenue, plus UI Tippie School of Accounting + Drake + ISU + UNI + Loras + Drake University Accounting pipelines.
Senior Manager (Big 4 Des Moines)
$118,000–$185,000+ bonus
Deloitte + PwC + EY + KPMG Des Moines · audit + tax + advisory · path to partner
Senior Manager (Eide Bailly / RSM / CLA)
$108,000–$165,000+ bonus
Eide Bailly + RSM + CLA Des Moines · regional middle-market CPA
Senior Manager (Honkamp / Forvis / LWBJ)
$95,000–$148,000+ bonus
Honkamp Krueger Dubuque + Forvis Mazars + LWBJ Des Moines · IA regional CPA
Senior Manager (Industry / Principal / John Deere)
$108,000–$168,000+ TC
Principal + John Deere + Athene + Sammons · industry accounting
Senior Tax Manager
$112,000–$172,000+ bonus
Big 4 + Eide Bailly + RSM + CLA · IA individual + corp + multi-state tax
Senior Audit Manager (Financial Services)
$115,000–$178,000+ bonus
Principal Financial + Wells Fargo + Athene + EMC · financial services audit
Senior Accountant (IRS West Des Moines)
$78,000–$118,000
IRS West Des Moines federal civilian · GS-12/13 + retirement + benefits
Controller / CFO (mid-market IA)
$135,000–$215,000+ bonus
Controller + CFO at IA mid-market + Vermeer + Pella + HNI + Winnebago
Mid-Level Accountant (3-6 yrs)
$58,000–$82,000
Senior accountant at IA firms · transitioning to manager band
Junior Accountant / Staff (0-3 yrs)
$48,000–$65,000
UI Tippie + Drake + ISU Ivy + UNI + Loras Accounting · entry band
Worth knowing: Eide Bailly LLP Des Moines + the substantial IA insurance + retirement + agriculture accounting cluster is one of the country's distinctive concentrated US Midwest CPA + insurance audit anchor and a feature most national accountant surveys understate for IA. Eide Bailly LLP (Fargo-HQ + ~3K+ employees + top-25 US CPA firm + the substantial Eide Bailly Des Moines office + the substantial Eide Bailly Iowa City + Sioux Falls regional offices + the substantial Eide Bailly Midwest agriculture + insurance + financial services audit + tax + advisory practice) supports substantial IA regional CPA. Senior Eide Bailly managers clear $108-165K+ bonus. Big 4 Des Moines (Deloitte + PwC + EY + KPMG Des Moines + the substantial post-2020 Big 4 Des Moines growth + the substantial Big 4 Principal Financial + Wells Fargo + John Deere + Athene + Sammons audit client base) supports substantial IA Big 4 work. Senior Big 4 Des Moines managers clear $118-185K+ bonus. RSM US Des Moines + CLA Des Moines + Honkamp Krueger Dubuque (founded 1947 substantial Dubuque + Cedar Rapids regional CPA) + Forvis Mazars (post-2024 Forvis + Mazars combination former BKD) + LWBJ Des Moines + the substantial IA regional CPA. Principal + John Deere + Athene + Sammons + EMC + Hy-Vee + Casey + Vermeer + Pella + HNI industry accounting. IRS West Des Moines federal civilian. IA flat 3.8% + IA RTW since 1947 + IA inheritance tax repealed Jan 1 2025 + IA property tax ~1.50% anchor the IA accountant proposition.
Sources & Methodology
- →IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 — 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction
- →IRS Notice 2025-67 — 2026 retirement-plan contribution limits
- →IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-19 — 2026 HSA contribution limits
- →Social Security Administration — 2026 Social Security wage base
- →Iowa Withholding Formula, effective 1 January 2026 (3.80%) — Iowa Department of Revenue
- →BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — Accountant wage data for Iowa
Salary figures are market estimates for Accountants in Iowa and vary by employer, specialty, seniority, and metro. Take-home math assumes a single filer with no dependents, the standard deduction, and Iowa 2026 state rates. Local taxes, insurance premiums, and pre-tax contributions will move your number — run the calculator for your own situation.
Run your own numbers
- Iowa paycheck calculator → · 401(k), HSA, dependents
- Bonus calculator → · year-end, sign-on, retention
- No Tax on Overtime calculator → · up to $12,500 off federal tax
- 1099 tax calculator → · self-employment tax 15.3%
Frequently Asked Questions
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More on Iowa
Salaries by profession, top-paying roles by industry, and an economic breakdown for Iowa in 2026.
Tax brackets, standard deductions, and take-home estimates for Iowa in 2026.
Adjust filing status, 401(k) for your exact 2026 take-home in Iowa.