RecruitLocalPros

Hiring a budget analyst in Des Moines, IA

Employers in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area pay budget analysts a median of $91,920, with the middle half of the market between $79,050 and $104,180. Des Moines residents working in business and financial operations occupations report a median of $68,527, which is 25% below what the metro pays for this role.

What does a budget analyst earn here?

Place of work

What employers pay

Annual wages paid by employers in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
25th percentile$79,050
Median$91,920
75th percentile$104,180

Half of budget analysts in this area earn between $79,050 and $104,180. A band set below $79,050 competes for the bottom quarter of the market.

Place of residence

What Des Moines residents earn

$68,527

Median earnings of Des Moines residents working in business and financial operations occupations, 7,271 people. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. Where people live, not where they work, so it is not the same measurement as the wages beside it.

The 25% figure is not a pay gap. ACS counts the civilian employed population 16 and over, part-time and part-year work included; OEWS counts wage-and-salary jobs only. The two populations differ, so read this number against other cities rather than as a shortfall: the same definitional difference applies to every city equally, which is what makes a city-to-city reading sound.

The role pays well above the local residential norm, which usually means you can hire from inside Des Moines rather than competing for commuters.

What does the role actually involve?

Core tasks

  • Analyze monthly department budgeting and accounting reports to maintain expenditure controls.
  • Provide advice and technical assistance with cost analysis, fiscal allocation, and budget preparation.
  • Review operating budgets to analyze trends affecting budget needs.
  • Compile and analyze accounting records and other data to determine the financial resources required to implement a program.
  • Examine budget estimates for completeness, accuracy, and conformance with procedures and regulations.

O*NET 29.1, task statements for SOC 13-2031.

Tools and technologies in demand

Accounting software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Access, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Visual Basic.

O*NET 29.1, flagged in demand or hot for this occupation. Useful as a screen, not as a checklist.

Is the talent actually in Des Moines?

This is a job zone four: considerable preparation needed occupation. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

That matters here, because 29% of Des Moines adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. That is a workable pool, but the search will reach beyond the city line. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501.

The average Des Moines commute runs 19.6 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 11.4% already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Polk County, accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll services employs 2,415 and turns over 12.3% a quarter, with 446 hires against 263 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $7,361 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 5412.

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 budget analysts. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a high-churn market, where speed matters more than a perfect fit.

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 median would bill roughly $18,384 to $27,576 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.

Price this search

Eight questions about the role. Your tier range appears on screen.

Hiring a budget analyst somewhere else?

Same role, different market. The wage band moves with the metro.

Other business and financial operations roles in Des Moines

Related

Des Moines is the largest of 1 Iowa cities in this dataset.