Annual salary
$50,569
Iowa · salary schedule · 2026-27
Des Moines Public Schools salary schedule, 2026-27
Teacher salary schedule, 195/199 day contract with TSS (2026-27). The grid below is the schedule as published, every cell; pick a lane and step to see the annual, monthly and per-day figure and the next five steps.
- Des Moines Public Schools's 2026-27 salary schedule starts at $39,640 (RN, step B) and tops out at $83,640 (PhD/Ed.D, step Z), per Des Moines Public Schools (effective ).
- A teacher on the bachelor's column (BA) starts at $50,569 and reaches $68,619 at the top of that column.
- On the master's column (MA) the range is $52,731 to $76,736.
- The schedule is built on 195 work days, which makes the starting cell about $203.28 per day.
- The grid has 10 lane columns and 25 step rows; the highest cell is reached at step Z.
- Des Moines Independent Comm School District enrolled 30,277 students in 2023-24, the 1st-largest district in Iowa by NCES enrollment.
Teacher salary schedule, 195/199 day contract with TSS (2026-27)
| Step \ Lane | RN | RN + 30 | BA | BA + 15 | BA + 30 | MA | MA + 15 | MA + 30 | MA + 45 | PhD/Ed.D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | $39,640 | $44,420 | $50,569 | $51,169 | $51,769 | $52,731 | $54,422 | $56,113 | $57,113 | $58,113 |
| C | $41,086 | $45,946 | $51,069 | $51,669 | $52,985 | $54,422 | $56,113 | $57,804 | $58,804 | $59,804 |
| D | $42,612 | $47,472 | $52,069 | $52,669 | $54,506 | $56,113 | $57,804 | $59,495 | $60,495 | $61,495 |
| E | $44,139 | $48,998 | $52,985 | $54,676 | $56,028 | $57,804 | $59,495 | $61,186 | $62,186 | $63,186 |
| F | $47,713 | $50,444 | $54,506 | $56,198 | $57,635 | $59,495 | $61,186 | $62,877 | $63,877 | $64,877 |
| G | $48,213 | $53,416 | $56,113 | $57,804 | $59,326 | $61,271 | $62,877 | $64,568 | $65,568 | $66,568 |
| H | $48,213 | $53,916 | $57,804 | $59,495 | $61,017 | $63,131 | $64,568 | $66,259 | $67,259 | $68,259 |
| I | $48,213 | $53,916 | $59,495 | $61,186 | $62,708 | $64,991 | $66,344 | $67,950 | $68,950 | $69,950 |
| J | $48,213 | $53,916 | $61,186 | $62,877 | $63,554 | $66,851 | $68,204 | $69,641 | $70,641 | $71,641 |
| K | $48,213 | $53,916 | $65,160 | $67,020 | $67,866 | $69,711 | $70,064 | $71,417 | $72,417 | $73,417 |
| L | $48,213 | $53,916 | $66,506 | $68,366 | $69,380 | $73,192 | $74,714 | $76,236 | $77,236 | $78,236 |
| M | $48,213 | $53,916 | $66,928 | $68,788 | $69,803 | $74,622 | $76,144 | $79,526 | $80,526 | $81,526 |
| N | $48,213 | $53,916 | $66,928 | $68,788 | $69,803 | $75,045 | $76,567 | $79,949 | $80,949 | $81,949 |
| O | $48,213 | $53,916 | $66,928 | $68,788 | $69,803 | $75,045 | $76,567 | $79,949 | $80,949 | $81,949 |
| P | $48,213 | $53,916 | $66,928 | $68,788 | $69,803 | $75,045 | $76,567 | $79,949 | $80,949 | $81,949 |
| Q | $48,213 | $53,916 | $66,928 | $68,788 | $69,803 | $75,045 | $76,567 | $79,949 | $80,949 | $81,949 |
| R | $48,213 | $53,916 | $67,774 | $69,634 | $70,649 | $75,890 | $77,412 | $80,794 | $81,794 | $82,794 |
| S | $49,016 | $54,219 | $67,774 | $69,634 | $70,649 | $75,890 | $77,412 | $80,794 | $81,794 | $82,794 |
| T | $49,016 | $54,219 | $67,774 | $69,634 | $70,649 | $75,890 | $77,412 | $80,794 | $81,794 | $82,794 |
| U | $49,016 | $54,219 | $67,774 | $69,634 | $70,649 | $75,890 | $77,412 | $80,794 | $81,794 | $82,794 |
| V | $49,016 | $54,219 | $67,774 | $69,634 | $70,649 | $75,890 | $77,412 | $80,794 | $81,794 | $82,794 |
| W | $49,016 | $54,219 | $67,774 | $69,634 | $70,649 | $75,890 | $77,412 | $80,794 | $81,794 | $82,794 |
| X | $49,016 | $54,219 | $67,774 | $69,634 | $70,649 | $75,890 | $77,412 | $80,794 | $81,794 | $82,794 |
| Y | $49,819 | $55,023 | $68,619 | $70,480 | $71,494 | $76,736 | $78,258 | $81,640 | $82,640 | $83,640 |
| Z | $49,819 | $55,023 | $68,619 | $70,480 | $71,494 | $76,736 | $78,258 | $81,640 | $82,640 | $83,640 |
highest celllowest cell25 step rows x 10 lane columnshover or tap a cell to trace its row and column
Find my cell
Per month (12)
$4,214.08
Per work day
$259.33 / 195 days
Next 5 steps in this lane
| Step | Salary | vs. selected |
|---|---|---|
| C | $51,069 | +$500 |
| D | $52,069 | +$1,500 |
| E | $52,985 | +$2,416 |
| F | $54,506 | +$3,937 |
| G | $56,113 | +$5,544 |
Worked example as rendered: BA, step B = $50,569 a year, $4,214.08 a month spread over 12 months, $259.33 per work day on a 195-day year. Monthly and daily figures are arithmetic on the published annual cell, before any supplement, stipend or deduction.
This is the 195/199 day contract grid, the standard teacher calendar. The district publishes the same lanes for 210, 230 and 260 day contracts, computed as (({195 contract} - 6227) * index) + 6227 with index 1.08, 1.14 and 1.24 respectively.
All amounts include the state Teacher Salary Supplement (TSS).
Steps are lettered B through Z. The district notes that steps do not necessarily indicate years of experience or service.
Step A has been retired and is printed as dashes in the source; it is omitted here.
The RN and RN + 30 lanes are for registered nurses on the teacher schedule; nurses holding a Statement of Professional Recognition add $6,227 to the grid amount.
The document also prints a generator base of $32,130 (RN lanes) and $33,821 (teacher lanes) used for extra duty pay; that is not a salary step.
- Soft spot: The document does not print a calendar effective date; 2026-07-01 is the start of the district fiscal year the FY27 label refers to.
How this schedule moves
On the BA column a teacher moves from $50,569 at step B to $68,619 at step Y: 23 step increases worth $785 each on average, 36% in total.
The largest single increase on that column is $3,974, between step J and step K.
11 of the 24 step moves on that column carry no increase: the schedule prints the same figure for consecutive steps.
A master's degree is worth $2,162 more than a bachelor's at the first step (4.3%) and $8,117 more at the top of the column (11.8%).
The highest-paid column, PhD/Ed.D, starts at $58,113 and tops out at $83,640, 22% above the top of the BA column.
Among the 12 Iowa district schedules indexed here, Des Moines Public Schools's starting pay ranks 4th and its top cell ranks 6th; the state medians are $50,000 to start and $81,820 at the top.
Across all 3,959 district grids indexed nationally, that starting figure sits at the 49th percentile and the top cell at the 40th percentile.
Column by column
| Lane | First step | Top | Step moves to top | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RN | $39,640 | $49,819 | 23 | 26% |
| RN + 30 | $44,420 | $55,023 | 23 | 24% |
| BA | $50,569 | $68,619 | 23 | 36% |
| BA + 15 | $51,169 | $70,480 | 23 | 38% |
| BA + 30 | $51,769 | $71,494 | 23 | 38% |
| MA | $52,731 | $76,736 | 23 | 46% |
| MA + 15 | $54,422 | $78,258 | 23 | 44% |
| MA + 30 | $56,113 | $81,640 | 23 | 45% |
| MA + 45 | $57,113 | $82,640 | 23 | 45% |
| PhD/Ed.D | $58,113 | $83,640 | 23 | 44% |
Against Iowa districts of similar size
| District | Students | Year | Starting | Master's start | Top cell |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines Public Schools | 30,277 | 2026-27 | $50,569 | $52,731 | $83,640 |
| Cedar Rapids Community School District | 15,589 | 2026-27 | $50,000 | $55,000 | $67,500 |
| Cedar Rapids Community School District | 15,589 | 2026-27 | $57,500 | – | $80,000 |
| Iowa City Community School District | 14,776 | 2026-27 | $50,000 | – | $90,198 |
| Sioux City Community School District | 14,661 | 2026-27 | $50,000 | $51,256 | $91,743 |
| Waukee Community School District | 13,600 | 2026-27 | $57,200 | $61,900 | $93,150 |
Starting pay is the first step of the bachelor's column where the schedule has one, otherwise the lowest first-step cell. Enrollment is NCES 2023-24. Years differ where districts publish on different cycles.
Questions people ask
What is the starting teacher salary in Des Moines Public Schools?
$50,569 on the lane BA at step B of the 2026-27 schedule (Des Moines Public Schools). The lowest cell on the whole grid is $39,640 (RN).
What is the top of the Des Moines Public Schools salary schedule?
$83,640, at step Z on PhD/Ed.D (2026-27). That is the highest published cell before any stipend, longevity or supplement not printed on the grid.
How long does it take to reach the top of the Des Moines Public Schools salary schedule?
On the BA column the top figure, $68,619, is reached at step Y, 23 step increases after step B (2026-27 schedule).
How much more does a master's degree pay in Des Moines Public Schools?
$2,162 more at the first step: $52,731 on MA against $50,569 on BA (2026-27 schedule).
Other Iowa districts with schedules
- Cedar Rapids Community School Districtstarts $50,000
- Cedar Rapids Community School Districtstarts $57,500
- Iowa City Community School Districtstarts $50,000
- Sioux City Community School Districtstarts $50,000
- Waukee Community School Districtstarts $57,200
- Davenport Community School Districtstarts $36,186
- Pleasant Valley Comm School Districtstarts $45,812
- Newton Comm School Districtstarts $50,000
- Adel DeSoto Minburn Comm School Districtstarts $41,745
- Clarke Comm School Districtstarts $50,250
See every Iowa district on the Iowa page. Compare this district on the comparison pages or the rankings.