Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA · BLS May 2025

Web Design Rates in Des Moines, IA

The median web developer wage in the Des Moines area is $29.79 an hour, 33% below the US figure. A freelancer there should charge about $35–$60 an hour — $650–$1,100 for a five-page site.

Pages

5
What the site needs

What to charge

$650–$1,100

About 18 hours at $35–$60 an hour, the freelance rate in Des Moines. Plus $40–$80 a month for hosting and updates.

Web designer pay in Des Moines

Median web developer wage
$29.79/hr
$62,000 a year
Freelance rate
$35–$60
an hour, estimated
Rank among metros
173 of 191
with published data
Des Moines areaMedian hourlyAverage hourlyEmployed
Web developers$29.79$35.29150
Web and digital interface designers$36.38$37.85210

BLS area: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA. A dash is a figure BLS did not publish for it.

Des Moines against Iowa and the US

AreaMedian web developer wageFreelance rate
Des Moines area$29.79$35–$60
Iowa$30.87$40–$60
United States$44.54$55–$90

What to charge for a website in Des Moines

At $35–$60 an hour. Quote the project, not the hours; use these to check the quote pays at least what a local employee earns.

SitePriceMonthly
One-page site$500–$750$40–$80
Five-page business site$650–$1,100$40–$80
Five pages with online booking$750–$1,300$40–$80
Eight pages, copy written for them$1,350–$2,350$40–$80
Small online shop$1,100–$1,850$40–$80

For a particular kind of business, see website cost by business.

Find clients in Des Moines

Search Des Moines and the towns around it for local businesses with no website with the free finder.

Other metro areas in Iowa

Questions

How much do web designers make in Des Moines?+

The median web developer wage in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area is $29.79 an hour, about $62,000 a year (BLS, May 2025). That is 3% below the Iowa figure.

How much do freelance web designers charge in Des Moines?+

About $35–$60 an hour: 1.25 to 2 times the employee wage, which covers self-employment tax, insurance, software and the hours nobody pays for.

How much does a website cost in Des Moines?+

A five-page small-business website built by a freelancer in the Des Moines area costs about $650–$1,100, plus $40–$80 a month for hosting and updates.

How many web developers work in Des Moines?+

BLS counts 150 employed web developers and 210 web and digital interface designers in the Des Moines metro area. Freelancers are not included.

Selling websites in Des Moines?

SitesGen finds the businesses around Des Moines with no website, builds each a finished one from its own photos and reviews, and writes the pitch.

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Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, for web developers (15-1254) and web and digital interface designers (15-1255). Those are employees' wages; freelance rates and prices here are estimates built from them, not BLS figures.