How much does a house cleaner make in Iowa?
In Iowa, maids and housekeeping cleaners earned an average of $15.88 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $15.68 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$15.88
$15.68
$17.83
$1.95 less an hour
$33,030
By the hour, the week and the year in Iowa
At 40 hours a week, the average of $15.88 an hour comes to $635.20 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $33,030 a year, and the median of $15.68 to $32,614 a year.
In Iowa, the average is $0.20 above the median (1.3%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of maids and housekeeping cleaners earn $15.68 an hour or less.
How does Iowa compare?
The average in Iowa is $1.95 below the national average of $17.83 (10.9% less), about $4,056 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Iowa ranks 36 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $17.07 an hour.
Iowa and its Census division, West North Central
By average wage, Iowa ranks 5 of the 7 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Minnesota, $18.45, and the lowest South Dakota, $15.38.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $18.45 | $18.01 | +$2.57 |
| North Dakota | $17.14 | $16.85 | +$1.26 |
| Nebraska | $16.45 | $16.43 | +$0.57 |
| Missouri | $16.41 | $16.19 | +$0.53 |
| Iowa | $15.88 | $15.68 | |
| Kansas | $15.41 | $14.95 | -$0.47 |
| South Dakota | $15.38 | $14.40 | -$0.50 |
This trade and the others in Iowa
Of the 5 trades this site prices, maids and housekeeping cleaners rank 5 of the 5 by average wage in Iowa. Among them, the average runs from $15.88 (Cleaning) to $27.80 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against cleaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $27.80 | $27.99 | +$11.92 |
| Drywall | $25.59 | $24.53 | +$9.71 |
| Painting | $25.04 | $23.90 | +$9.16 |
| Landscaping | $19.84 | $18.71 | +$3.96 |
| Cleaning | $15.88 | $15.68 |
Against the minimum wage in Iowa
In Iowa most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of maids and housekeeping cleaners, $15.68, is $8.43 above it, 2.2 times the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $15,080 a year.
From wage to rate
This is what an employer pays an employee, not what a contractor bills. Your rate also has to cover your overhead (vehicle, insurance, tools), your profit, and the hours you cannot bill.
If you pay a helper the median wage in Iowa, $15.68 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the cleaning calculator cost $125.44 in wages. With its $20.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $183.98; at the national median, $17.07, the same job comes to $198.05. A wage is only the floor: your own rate also pays your taxes, your unbilled hours and your business.