Iowa · 2026 pay · 22 people
How much does a research and development engineer make in Iowa?
$108,293typical pay for a research and development engineer in 2026
$75,042 – $121,687what most people earned
Includes everyone paid during 2026, including part-year workers. Typical pay rose 3.5% from 2025.
✓ Official data from Iowa Department of Administrative Services · Matches the agency's latest release · data.iowa.gov ↗
Where research and development engineers work
Typical pay at each employer, 2026 (everyone paid).
Pay by level
Levels with 5 or more people.
- Research and Development Engineer I5 people$79,071
- Research and Development Engineer III9 people$122,000
Highest-paid research and development engineers, 2026
- 1Wathne, LeifResearch and Development Engineer IV · Iowa State University$159,310
- 2Hans, Zachary NResearch and Development Engineer III · Iowa State University$151,739
- 3Saleh, Christopher LeeResearch and Development Engineer III · Iowa State University$125,573
- 4Bengtson, Daniel LeeResearch and Development Engineer III · Iowa State University$123,833
- 5Belloma, ZacharyResearch and Development Engineer III · Iowa State University$123,726
Common questions
How much does a research and development engineer make in Iowa?
The typical research and development engineer was paid $108,293 in 2026; most earned between $75,042 and $121,687. This counts all 22 people paid, including part-year workers.
Which job titles are included?
Everyone whose payroll title is Research and Development Engineer, at any level (for example "Research and Development Engineer I"). Part-time-schedule titles (such as "20 hours") are left out. Senior, supervising and trainee titles have their own pages.
Job titles are written out in full from the payroll's abbreviations (for example "SR CRRECTNL POLC OFCR" → "Senior Correctional Police Officer"). "Typical pay" is the median; "most earned" is the middle half. How we calculate this