Iowa · 2026 pay
How much do Iowa Legislature employees make?
$49,847typical pay, counting everyone paid in 2026
$8,162 – $63,796what most people earned
Includes everyone paid during 2026, including part-year and seasonal workers. The source doesn't show who worked the full year.
Iowa Department of Administrative Services publishes pay by position without employee names, so there is no name search here.
Common jobs: RepresentativeLegislative Employees - SessionLegislative Employees - Full-Time
✓ Official data from Iowa Department of Administrative ServicesMatches the agency's latest releasedata.iowa.gov ↗
Is pay going up?
Yes. Typical pay went from $25,320 in 2016 to $49,847 in 2026 (+97%).
What changed since 2025
- +9.4%Typical pay went up from $45,585 to $49,847.
- −31549 people were paid in 2026, compared with 580 in 2025.
- +97%Since 2016, typical pay has gone from $25,320 to $49,847, while the number of people paid went down from 585 to 549.
The next update is expected in late 2027.
Worth knowing about pay at Iowa Legislature
What stands out in the payroll data, checked against the rest of our data before it is shown.
- +4.0%
People paid by Iowa Legislature in both 2025 and 2026 saw their pay change by a typical +4.0%. Typical pay across everyone paid changed +9.4%, as people joined and left.
Usual among the 12 other state agencies in Iowa in our data: +4.7%.
Compares the same people in both years, so new hires and leavers do not move it. Overtime and hours worked count too.
- +32%
Since 2016, total pay at Iowa Legislature went up 32% while the number of people paid went down 6%.
Counts everyone paid during each year. Not adjusted for inflation.
Pay by job
Jobs held by 5 or more people in 2026.
| Job | People | Typical pay | Most earn | Since 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representative | 97 | $50,963 | $50k – $52k | ▼ 2.4% |
| Legislative Employees - Session | 96 | $7,722 | $7k – $8k | new |
| Legislative Employees - Full-Time | 56 | $66,450 | $44k – $128k | new |
| Senator | 49 | $51,037 | $50k – $53k | ▼ 3.9% |
| Senate Employees - Secretary | 47 | $7,859 | $8k – $8k | new |
| Senate Employees - Full-Time | 35 | $106,378 | $67k – $135k | new |
| Capitol Tour Guide | 18 | $7,684 | $5k – $10k | ▲ 34.4% |
| Legislative Employees - Pages | 15 | $7,477 | $7k – $8k | new |
| Admin Services Officer I | 12 | $60,143 | $58k – $63k | ▲ 8.0% |
| Senate Employees - Pages | 11 | $7,533 | $7k – $8k | new |
| Admin Services Officer | 9 | $54,694 | $50k – $57k | ▲ 11.4% |
| Fiscal Legislative Analyst 2 | 7 | $75,314 | $75k – $77k | new |
| Division Editor/Supervisor | 6 | $111,797 | $104k – $121k | ▲ 3.8% |
| Admin Services Assistant | 6 | $42,008 | $42k – $42k | ▲ 75.8% |
| Senior Legal Counsel | 5 | $100,473 | $100k – $132k | new |
| Assistant I Citizens Aide | 5 | $65,478 | $36k – $69k | ▲ 9.1% |
No jobs match.
How many people earn what
- Under $10k174
- $10k – $30k31
- $30k – $50k72
- $50k – $70k162
- $70k – $90k24
- $90k – $110k28
- $110k – $150k39
- $150k or more19
Includes part-time and seasonal workers, which is why many earn under $10k.
Pay by department
| Department | People | Typical pay |
|---|---|---|
| House of Representatives | 247 | $44,278 |
| Senate | 149 | $45,089 |
| Legislative Services Agency | 113 | $65,437 |
| Joint Expenses | 21 | $40,067 |
| Citizens Aide Ombudsman | 19 | $80,410 |
Highest paid at Iowa Legislature in 2026
- 1Timothy C McdermottLegislative Services Agency Director$195,506▲ $7,526 vs 2025
- 2Bernardo P GranwehrOmbudsman$187,154▲ $7,208 vs 2025
- 3W Charles SmithsonSenate Employees - Full-Time$178,652▲ $6,869 vs 2025
- 4Meghan Jvw NelsonLegislative Employees - Full-Time$176,967▲ $8,425 vs 2025
- 5Jennifer D ActonDivision Director$170,490▲ $6,551 vs 2025
- 6Matthew R EatonDivision Director$170,490▲ $6,551 vs 2025
- 7Gannon M HendrickSenate Employees - Full-Time$156,620▲ $5,957 vs 2025
- 8Caleb J HunterSenate Employees - Full-Time$155,120▲ $5,957 vs 2025
- 9Eric L BakkerSenate Employees - Full-Time$155,120▲ $5,957 vs 2025
- 10Susanne L FoeckeSenate Employees - Full-Time$155,120▲ $5,957 vs 2025
Common questions
How much does a Iowa Legislature employee make?
The typical employee was paid $49,847 in 2026: half of the 549 people paid earned more, half earned less. Most earned between $8,162 and $63,796.
Why do so many people earn very little?
The list includes everyone who got a paycheck during the year: part-time, seasonal and short-term workers, and people who joined or left partway through. 174 people (31.7%) were paid under $10,000.
Does this include benefits like health insurance or pension?
No. It is gross pay as published; the source does not split it into regular pay and overtime.
Where does this data come from, and when is it updated?
From Iowa Department of Administrative Services (Iowa Data Hub) (data.iowa.gov). Our figures match the agency's latest release; the next update is expected in late 2027.
"Typical pay" is the median: half earn more, half earn less. "Most earn" is the middle half of workers. Figures are calculated by PublicPayData from the official dataset; 0 records with $0 or negative pay are left out. How we calculate this · Corrections & removals