AI Data Quality Engineer.
Des Moines.
$123,000
median salary, 12% below the national average
$92,000 to $162,000. Last updated April 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
AI Data Quality Engineer pay in Des Moines ranges from $92,000 to $162,000 in 2026. The median is $123,000, 12% below the national average. Des Moines is a major insurance and financial services hub, home to Principal Financial, EMC Insurance, and a growing fintech community. Every dollar in that range is negotiable if you come prepared.
Salary range
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $111,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$80,000
to $98,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$105,000
to $129,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$135,000
to $160,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$154,000
to $191,000
Salary trend
+10% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $56,000 to the total package.
Base
$123,000
Equity
$34,000
Bonus
$15,000
Signing
$7,000
Estimated total: $179,000
How Des Moines compares
Des Moines, IA
$123,000
Cost of living: 14% below average
National Average
$140,000
Des Moines is $17,000 below
AI Data Quality Engineer salary by city
Salary by role in Des Moines
What you should know
Before you negotiate a AI Data Quality Engineer offer in Des Moines, understand the terrain. Des Moines is a major insurance and financial services hub, home to Principal Financial, EMC Insurance, and a growing fintech community. The city's extremely low cost of living and strong job market make it one of the best value cities for finance professionals. AI data quality engineers ensure training and serving data meets standards for ML model reliability. Salary is driven by experience with data validation frameworks, drift detection systems, and automated quality monitoring at scale. Engineers working in regulated industries like healthcare and finance earn 12 to 20% premiums due to compliance requirements.
Junior AI data quality engineers earn $105,000 to $125,000. Engineers with 3 to 5 years of ML data quality experience reach $140,000 to $185,000. Senior engineers and quality team leads earn $190,000 to $248,000, while directors of data quality at enterprise AI companies can command $255,000 to $330,000. In Des Moines, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 14% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
Base salary is not the full picture. Tech companies provide equity grants of 12 to 22% of base salary. Bonuses range from 10 to 15% annually. Some firms offer additional compensation for maintaining critical data quality SLAs, adding $5,000 to $12,000 for on-call responsibilities. And on the tax side: iowa has a flat 3.8% state income tax. Des Moines has no city income tax. The low rate and affordable housing create strong purchasing power. When someone quotes you $123,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Benchmark against national insurance industry pay scales. Des Moines insurance employers compete with remote offers from larger metros. The range for AI Data Quality Engineers in Des Moines runs from $92,000 to $162,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: SEC filings, H-1B LCA (DOL), BLS OES, 50+ job posting platforms. COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified April 8, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A Product Manager in Des Moines earns $124,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Des Moines is Technical Fellow at $313,000
- See all ai engineering roles tracked in Orbyt Intelligence
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