Job opportunities vary greatly by location. As the tables below clearly show, individual cities and towns offer employment opportunities which differ from those you'll find in other places. Some places feature jobs in technology, some in manufacturing, others in education, etc. Whether choosing a career path or seeking a new job, it pays to consider which careers are favored in the area in which you live or to which are willing to move.
Select the city you want or just browse down this page to see the analysis for each city:
NOTE: A Career Popularity level of 1.0 indicates the national average; a popularity rating of 3.5, for example, indicates that the career is 3.5 times as prevalent locally than it is nationally.
Ames, Iowa Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Ames and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide. | Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity*
vs. Avg. |
|---|
| Soil and plant scientists | $60,680 | 120 | 183 | | Biological technicians | $32,370 | 460 | 41.6 | | Civil engineers | $66,970 | 250 | 4.7 | | Food servers, nonrestaurant | $16,240 | 130 | 3.3 | | Medical and health services managers | $70,290 | 160 | 3.2 | | Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food | $14,890 | 1,540 | 3.1 | | Printing machine operators | $27,830 | 120 | 2.9 | | Graphic designers | $28,850 | 110 | 2.6 | | Cooks, institution and cafeteria | $21,990 | 190 | 2.6 | | Administrative services managers | $71,780 | 140 | 2.5 | | (Click for the full list of Ames careers, including educational requirements, salaries, more) |
Cedar Rapids, Iowa Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Cedar Rapids and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide. | Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity*
vs. Avg. |
|---|
| Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders | $34,050 | 580 | 27 | | Millwrights | $41,490 | 200 | 7.3 | | Education administrators, all other | $62,310 | 120 | 6.9 | | Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders | $35,050 | 380 | 5.4 | | Education, training, and library workers, all other | $31,120 | 200 | 4.5 | | Conveyor operators and tenders | $30,200 | 100 | 4.5 | | Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer | $26,390 | 5,410 | 4 | | Telemarketers | $20,810 | 1,190 | 3.5 | | Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers | $12,800 | 240 | 3.1 | | Electrical power-line installers and repairers | $52,680 | 160 | 2.9 | | (Click for the full list of Cedar Rapids careers, including educational requirements, salaries, more) |
Davenport, Iowa Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Davenport and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide. | Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity*
vs. Avg. |
|---|
| Metal workers and plastic workers, all other | $36,110 | 310 | 11.1 | | Material moving workers, all other | $30,970 | 490 | 10.9 | | Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door | $41,220 | 180 | 6.9 | | Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic | $32,620 | 850 | 5.5 | | Surgeons | $193,130 | 190 | 4.2 | | Production workers, all other | $34,560 | 1,170 | 3.8 | | Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers | $15,110 | 400 | 3.5 | | Tool and die makers | $44,080 | 400 | 3.4 | | Assemblers and fabricators, all other | $27,800 | 810 | 3.4 | | Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping | $22,010 | 300 | 3.4 | | (Click for the full list of Davenport careers, including educational requirements, salaries, more) |
Des Moines, Iowa Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Des Moines and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide. | Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity*
vs. Avg. |
|---|
| Grounds maintenance workers, all other | $25,800 | 110 | 11.9 | | Actuaries | $75,370 | 290 | 9.6 | | Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners | $41,850 | 110 | 8.6 | | Cooks, all other | $21,890 | 140 | 8.4 | | Agricultural and food science technicians | $38,370 | 110 | 6.2 | | Bindery workers | $25,730 | 760 | 6 | | Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation | $28,650 | 200 | 5.8 | | Insurance underwriters | $49,320 | 1,310 | 5.7 | | Farm equipment mechanics | $32,560 | 150 | 5.7 | | Financial examiners | $58,950 | 260 | 5.3 | | (Click for the full list of Des Moines careers, including educational requirements, salaries, more) |
Dubuque, Iowa Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Dubuque and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide. | Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity*
vs. Avg. |
|---|
| Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing | $25,830 | 290 | 14.5 | | Prepress technicians and workers | $28,860 | 120 | 5.3 | | Food servers, nonrestaurant | $17,080 | 330 | 5.1 | | Sewing machine operators | $26,890 | 330 | 4.8 | | Structural metal fabricators and fitters | $29,030 | 120 | 4.4 | | Team assemblers | $27,740 | 1,620 | 4.3 | | Graphic designers | $37,900 | 260 | 3.8 | | Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic | $31,710 | 150 | 3.7 | | Tool and die makers | $39,390 | 100 | 3.3 | | Coaches and scouts | $18,070 | 150 | 3.2 | | (Click for the full list of Dubuque careers, including educational requirements, salaries, more) |
Iowa City, Iowa Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Iowa City and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide. | Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity*
vs. Avg. |
|---|
| Legislators | $12,940 | 100 | 6.6 | | Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other | $50,420 | 120 | 6.1 | | Rehabilitation counselors | $23,670 | 210 | 5.1 | | Cement masons and concrete finishers | $30,350 | 410 | 4.8 | | Medical and health services managers | $71,740 | 470 | 4.7 | | Healthcare support workers, all other | $26,410 | 270 | 3.8 | | Assemblers and fabricators, all other | $32,450 | 270 | 3.6 | | Radiologic technologists and technicians | $43,010 | 270 | 3.5 | | Registered nurses | $49,550 | 3,460 | 3.4 | | Food batchmakers | $24,500 | 100 | 3.3 | | (Click for the full list of Iowa City careers, including educational requirements, salaries, more) |
Sioux City, Iowa Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Sioux City and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide. | Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity*
vs. Avg. |
|---|
| Conveyor operators and tenders | $26,460 | 100 | 9.1 | | Structural iron and steel workers | $35,540 | 180 | 7.5 | | Family and general practitioners | $150,510 | 190 | 4.6 | | Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers | $14,320 | 170 | 4.5 | | Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers | $34,280 | 580 | 4.1 | | Service station attendants | $18,130 | 140 | 4.1 | | Machine feeders and offbearers | $23,790 | 190 | 4 | | Mechanical drafters | $34,330 | 100 | 3.4 | | Medical transcriptionists | $26,970 | 120 | 3.3 | | Coaches and scouts | $20,590 | 190 | 3.2 | | (Click for the full list of Sioux City careers, including educational requirements, salaries, more) |
Waterloo, Iowa Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Waterloo and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide. | Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity*
vs. Avg. |
|---|
| Farm equipment mechanics | $32,430 | 140 | 22.2 | | Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing | $23,100 | 340 | 10.9 | | Health specialties teachers, postsecondary | $54,290 | 140 | 5.7 | | Tool and die makers | $37,480 | 190 | 4 | | Rehabilitation counselors | $25,340 | 210 | 4 | | Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $34,080 | 120 | 3.8 | | Highway maintenance workers | $34,520 | 170 | 3.7 | | Mechanical drafters | $38,630 | 130 | 3.6 | | Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $34,730 | 100 | 3.4 | | Industrial truck and tractor operators | $24,130 | 990 | 3 | | (Click for the full list of Waterloo careers, including educational requirements, salaries, more) |
* A Career Popularity level of 1.0 indicates the national average; a popularity rating of 3.5, for example, indicates that the career is 3.5 times as prevalent locally than it is nationally.
Analysis (above) provided by CityTownInfo.com, based on data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and the US Census.
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