Hiring an architectural and civil drafter in Des Moines, IA

Do Des Moines residents in architecture and engineering work earn more than employers in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area pay?

Des Moines residents working in architecture and engineering occupations earn a median of $74,299 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $78,860 as the median of the 21 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 6%, with the employers figure the higher of the two.

Both sides of that figure describe the whole architecture and engineering group, not this one role. In the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area the group covers 21 occupations BLS publishes a wage for, from engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other at $51,200 to electrical engineers at $107,040 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with architectural and civil drafters at $64,240 inside it.

That comparison is between two different measures, not a pay gap. The two weight the same occupation group differently: the Census figure is the midpoint across the people who actually hold those jobs, so a group carrying a few very well paid occupations is pulled toward them, while the BLS figure is the midpoint across the 21 published occupation wages, which counts each of those occupations once whatever its headcount. Census also counts where people live and BLS counts where the jobs are, and the two cover different populations, Census the civilian employed population 16 and over, BLS wage-and-salary jobs only. Read the number against other cities, where the same definitional difference applies on both sides, rather than as a shortfall.

The two sit within 10% of each other, so residents of Des Moines and employers across the metro are priced about the same in this field, and pay alone is unlikely to be what wins or loses this hire.

Is the talent actually in Des Moines?

This is a job zone three: medium preparation needed occupation. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. O*NET OnLine, SOC 17-3011.

It does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 29% of Des Moines adults hold one. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501, residents of Des Moines aged 25 and over.

The average Des Moines commute runs 19.6 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 11.4% of Des Moines workers already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that. Census ACS 5-year 2023, place-level commuting characteristics for Des Moines.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Polk County, architectural, engineering and related services employs 4,431 and turns over 4.8% a quarter, with 253 hires against 209 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $7,823 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 5413.

That figure covers every occupation in the industry, not this role alone, so read it as the local churn rate rather than as a number about architectural and civil drafters. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a low-churn market, where people do not move often and passive candidates are the whole game.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's $64,240 median in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would bill roughly $12,848 to $19,272 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Questions employers ask about hiring an architectural and civil drafter in Des Moines

What does it cost to hire an architectural and civil drafter in Des Moines?

Tier I to Tier VI, $6,240 to $54,340 per search, set by the seniority of the role and never by salary or location. A contingency firm billing 20 to 30% of this role's $64,240 median wage in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would charge roughly $12,848 to $19,272 on the first year salary alone.

What should an offer for an architectural and civil drafter in Des Moines look like?

Employers in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area pay architectural and civil drafters a median of $64,240, with the middle half of the market between $60,110 and $79,650 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A band set below $60,110 competes for the bottom quarter of that market.

Do Des Moines residents in architecture and engineering work earn more than employers in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area pay?

Des Moines residents working in architecture and engineering occupations earn a median of $74,299 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $78,860 as the median of the 21 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 6%. Both figures cover the whole occupation group rather than this one role, and one counts where people live while the other counts where the jobs are, so the percentage is not a pay gap.

Is the talent for this role already in Des Moines?

This is a job zone 3 occupation and does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 29% of Des Moines adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501).

Related

• Hiring Architectural and Civil Drafters: the role, the pay, the process
• Recruiting services in Des Moines
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Des Moines is the largest of 1 Iowa cities in this dataset.