Software Engineering Talent: Supply vs Demand in Iowa.
1.03% of US computer science grads come from Iowa each year. Discover where most of them come from, and their job prospects. Identify emerging talent hubs, in-demand skills, and salary progression patterns.
Compare Iowa with another state
Where are Iowa computer science grads coming from?
Top cities producing the most CS grads
Fairfield, Ames and Iowa City produced the highest number of CS grads. This represents 61.11% of the total CS grads from Iowa.
Uncover other talent hubs with this interactive map.
Curious how this data compares to another state?
Use our comparison tool below.
Top institutions producing the most CS grads
Iowa produces 1,409 of CS grads each year.
We've identified the top institutions supplying the highest number of future software engineers. Maharishi International University came out on top, with 385 CS grads. This represents 27.32% of total grads in Iowa.
Whether you're an employer recruiting rising tech talent or a student planning your academic career, these are definitely the schools to watch.
In-demand skills & job market outlook for Iowa.
Top Iowa cities with the highest number of job opportunities
Explore the Iowa cities with the highest number of software engineering jobs.
39.91% of all job postings in Iowa come from Des Moines.
Most in-demand technical skills
Learning in-demand programming languages and technologies is essential for staying ahead of the curve in a competitive job market.
Here are the most sought-after skills in Iowa. Java was most in-demand, mentioned in 15.9% of the software engineering job postings we analyzed.
Average salary and job availability by education level
We analyzed 13,180 job postings in Iowa.
Here's an overview of how many jobs are available at each education level, and the mean salary.
Salaries by seniority in Iowa
Earning potential is an essential factor to consider when laying the groundwork for a career in software engineering.
This chart shows the median salaries for software engineers at different stages of their career.
While an entry-level software engineer in Iowa can expect to earn $83,200, that figure jumps to $142,090 for senior tech talent, representing a 70.8% increase.
Additional info about Iowa's talent landscape.
- Agricultural Technology Epicenter: Iowa's dominant agricultural sector drives innovation in farming tech and creates opportunities to develop precision agriculture platforms, crop monitoring drones, and AI-driven yield prediction models tailored to corn and soybean production.
- Renewable Energy Software: As the first state to generate more than 57% of its electricity with wind power, Iowa is a leader in wind energy production. This state offers software engineers interested in clean tech the chance to work on wind farm management systems, grid optimization software, and energy forecasting tools.
- Insurance Tech Hub: Des Moines' status as a major insurance center fosters insurtech innovation and gives software professionals opportunities to work on risk assessment algorithms, claims processing automation, and blockchain-based insurance platforms.
- Bioscience Informatics: Iowa's growing bioscience industry creates demand for specialized software like genomic analysis tools, biofuel production optimization systems, and laboratory management software.
- Rural Connectivity Solutions: With its commitment to expanding rural broadband access, software engineers in Iowa can expect to work on innovative last-mile connectivity solutions, mesh network applications, and rural-focused Internet of Things (IoT) platforms.
Compare Iowa with another state.
Where are the most promising opportunities? Find out how different hubs compare in terms of job availability, cost of living, and earning potential.
*Calculated based on US average of 100. Numbers higher than 100 relate to a higher cost of living.
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