Rankings · Iowa
Highest paying school districts in Iowa
Ranked from the districts' own published salary schedules, not from survey averages or self-reported figures. Every row links to that district's full step-and-lane grid and the document it was read from.
- The highest starting bachelor's salary among the 12 indexed Iowa district schedules is Waukee Community School District at $57,200 (2026-27).
- The highest single cell on any indexed Iowa grid is Waukee Community School District at $93,150.
- This ranks the 12 Iowa districts whose published schedule is indexed here, out of 325 districts in the state. A district that is not indexed is not ranked.
Highest starting salary on the bachelor's column
| District | Year | Starting | Column | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Waukee Community School District | 2026-27 | $57,200 | BA | 13,600 |
| 2. Davenport Community School District | 2026-27 | $51,875 | BA | 13,523 |
| 3. Des Moines Public Schools | 2026-27 | $50,569 | BA | 30,277 |
| 4. Clarke Comm School District | 2026-27 | $50,250 | BA | 1,324 |
| 5. Iowa City Community School District | 2026-27 | $50,000 | BA | 14,776 |
| 6. Sioux City Community School District | 2026-27 | $50,000 | BA | 14,661 |
| 7. Newton Comm School District | 2025-26 | $50,000 | BA | 2,770 |
| 8. Cedar Rapids Community School District | 2026-27 | $50,000 | A-BA | 15,589 |
| 9. Lawton-Bronson Comm School District | 2024-25 | $47,500 | BA | 745 |
| 10. Pleasant Valley Comm School District | 2027-28 | $45,812 | BA | 5,826 |
| 11. Adel DeSoto Minburn Comm School District | 2026-27 | $41,745 | BA | 2,295 |
Highest cell anywhere on the schedule
The top of a schedule is normally the most senior step of the highest education column, so this is what a long-serving teacher with the most credits can reach, not a typical salary.
| District | Year | Top cell | Column | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Waukee Community School District | 2026-27 | $93,150 | MA+45 | 13,600 |
| 2. Sioux City Community School District | 2026-27 | $91,743 | MA+30 | 14,661 |
| 3. Iowa City Community School District | 2026-27 | $90,198 | MA+30 | 14,776 |
| 4. Davenport Community School District | 2026-27 | $89,024 | MA+60 | 13,523 |
| 5. Pleasant Valley Comm School District | 2027-28 | $88,538 | MA+30 | 5,826 |
| 6. Des Moines Public Schools | 2026-27 | $83,640 | PhD/Ed.D | 30,277 |
| 7. Cedar Rapids Community School District | 2026-27 | $80,000 | M - PHD | 15,589 |
| 8. Newton Comm School District | 2025-26 | $79,317 | MA+45 | 2,770 |
| 9. Adel DeSoto Minburn Comm School District | 2026-27 | $70,385 | MA+24 | 2,295 |
| 10. Lawton-Bronson Comm School District | 2024-25 | $69,500 | MA+24 | 745 |
| 11. Cedar Rapids Community School District | 2026-27 | $67,500 | F - MA | 15,589 |
| 12. Clarke Comm School District | 2026-27 | $67,250 | MA+15 | 1,324 |
Coverage grows as more Iowa schedules are parsed. See all 325 Iowa districts, or the national rankings.