Creative pay 2026
Copywriter salary in Iowa (2026)
Writers and copywriters in Iowa earn a median $61,010 a year ($29.33 an hour), according to BLS wage data for May 2025. That is 21% below the US median of $76,910; Iowa is 31st of 44 states and territories. The median for every job in Iowa is $48,540, so this pays 26% more than the typical job there.
- $61,010median a year in Iowa
- $29.33median an hour
- −21%vs the US median ($76,910)
- 290employee jobs (BLS estimate)
What is the salary range for a copywriter in Iowa?
Half of writers and copywriters in Iowa earn between $50,280 and $69,220. Pay is bunched more tightly than nationally: the 90th percentile is 1.8 times the 10th, against 3.2 times across the US.
| 10th percentile | $48,260 | $44,310 | $23.20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | $50,280 | $58,230 | $24.17 |
| Median | $61,010 | $76,910 | $29.33 |
| 75th | $69,220 | $101,950 | $33.28 |
| 90th percentile | $88,560 | $139,870 | $42.58 |
The mean (average) is $62,780, above the median, pulled up by the highest earners.
How does Iowa compare with other states?
Iowa sits 31st of 44, between North Carolina ($63,660) and Tennessee ($58,870).
Which cities in Iowa pay writers and copywriters best?
Of the 4 metro areas in Iowa where BLS publishes a median for the job, Omaha pays most, at $67,390, 10% above the state median.
| Omaha, NE-IA | 120 | $67,390 | $32.40 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 90 | $63,010 | $30.29 |
| Iowa City, IA | 50 | $49,000 | $23.56 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 40 | $62,110 | $29.86 |
How many writers and copywriters work in Iowa?
BLS estimates 290 employee jobs, 0.18 in every 1,000 jobs in the state. The job is rarer here than nationally: a location quotient of 0.60, where 1 is the US average.
Employees only. BLS does not count the self-employed, who are a large share of several creative jobs.
What do other creative jobs pay in Iowa?
1 of the 5 other creative jobs below pay a higher median in Iowa.
| UX/UI designer | $69,060 | 670 |
|---|---|---|
| Videographer | $57,220 | 90 |
| Graphic designer | $50,310 | 2,100 |
| Motion designer | $47,530 | n/a |
| Photographer | $38,290 | 430 |
What do freelance writers and copywriters charge?
Upwork, copywriters list $19 to $45 an hour, worldwide. Iowa's employee median of $29.33 an hour is inside that range. The rate calculator works out an hourly rate from the salary you want.
Questions
What is the average copywriter salary in Iowa?
The median is $61,010 a year and the mean is $62,780, from BLS data for May 2025 covering about 290 employee jobs.
How much does a copywriter make an hour in Iowa?
The median hourly wage is $29.33. The bottom 10% earn under $23.20 and the top 10% over $42.58.
What does a starting copywriter earn in Iowa?
BLS does not publish pay by experience. The lowest-paid quarter of writers and copywriters in Iowa earn under $50,280 a year and the lowest-paid tenth under $48,260, which is the nearest guide to starting pay.
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Where do these numbers come from?
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (published 15 May 2026). Occupation 27-3043, Writers and Authors. Employees only; annual figures are hourly times 2,080.
n = 290 jobs in the Iowa estimate. Last updated 2 October 2026.
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Copywriter pay in other states
- District of Columbia $129,300
- Maryland $104,330
- Connecticut $98,460
- Louisiana $89,520
- California $86,480
- Washington $85,700
- Massachusetts $85,260
- Virginia $85,000
- New Jersey $81,590
- Oregon $80,540
- Pennsylvania $77,410
- Colorado $76,830