New grad RN jobs and nurse residency programs in Iowa
Iowa employs 34,420 registered nurses, and half of them earn more than $78,630 a year, $18,920 below the national median of $97,550. Our list has 28 new-grad programs in Iowa; 13 were taking applications on Oct 29, 2026.
- RNs employed
- 34,420
- Median RN pay
- $78,630
- 25th percentile
- $32.83/hr
- Programs we track
- 28
- Open on Oct 29, 2026
- 13
- In the compact
- Yes
- NCLEX pass rate, 2025
- 86.8%
- Work before the NCLEX
- No
Every Iowa program we track is listed in the Vibe Nursing app.
What new grad nurses earn in Iowa
A quarter of Iowa RNs earn less than $32.83 an hour ($68,290 a year) and half earn more than $37.80. First-year offers tend to sit near the lower figure, since hospital pay scales usually rise with experience.
Iowa ranks 48th of the 50 states and DC for median RN pay. When you compare offers, weigh them against local rent as well as against other states.
Pay is bunched together in Iowa: only $4.97 an hour separates the 25th percentile from the median, a narrower gap than in most states.
| Metro area | RNs employed | Median pay | 25th percentile, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha, NE-IA | 13,200 | $84,600 | $38.09 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 8,130 | $78,630 | $33.69 |
| Iowa City, IA | 4,090 | $85,940 | $33.79 |
Where the RN jobs are
The largest RN job market touching Iowa is the Omaha area, with 13,200 RNs; that count includes nurses in Nebraska.
Getting licensed in Iowa
The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing licenses RNs in Iowa.
Iowa is in the Nurse Licensure Compact. If Iowa is your primary state of residence, the license you earn after the NCLEX can be multistate, valid in every compact state. Nurses who live in another compact state can work in Iowa on their home state's multistate license.
Of its neighboring states, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin are in the compact; Illinois and Minnesota are not, so working there means a separate license.
Working before you pass the NCLEX in Iowa
No. Iowa requires a license to practice and offers no permit to exam applicants. Its only temporary license is a 30-day one for nurses already licensed in another state who are waiting on transcripts.
Source: Iowa Administrative Code 481, Chapter 617, read October 2026.
Of its neighboring states, Missouri, South Dakota and Wisconsin do let new graduates work on a permit before passing. See every state's rule.
NCLEX pass rate in Iowa
1,841 of the 2,122 first-time, U.S.-educated candidates who took the NCLEX-RN for Iowa in 2025 passed: 86.8%, about the same as the national rate of 86.7%.
Set against the 28 new-grad programs we track here, that is about 76 new test takers per program, fewer than the national figure of about 114.
The exam is the same everywhere; the rate tells you about the graduates who tested here, not about your own chances. See pass rates in every state.
Iowa and its neighboring states
Among its neighboring states, Minnesota pays RNs the most, a median of $101,510. Illinois has the most new-grad programs on our list (84).
Questions about Iowa
How much do new grad nurses make in Iowa?
The BLS does not separate new graduates. For all Iowa RNs, the 25th percentile is $32.83 an hour and the median $37.80 (May 2025); first-year offers usually sit nearer $32.83.
How many nurse residency programs are in Iowa?
Vibe Nursing tracks 28 new-grad programs at Iowa hospitals: nurse residencies, and hospitals that hire new grads straight into RN jobs. On Oct 29, 2026, 13 were taking applications.
Can I work in Iowa with a compact license?
Yes. Iowa is a compact state, so a multistate license from your home compact state is valid here.
Can new grads work before passing the NCLEX in Iowa?
No. Iowa requires a license to practice and offers no permit to exam applicants. Its only temporary license is a 30-day one for nurses already licensed in another state who are waiting on transcripts.
What is the NCLEX pass rate in Iowa?
86.8% in 2025: 1,841 of 2,122 first-time, U.S.-educated candidates passed the NCLEX-RN for Iowa (NCSBN). The national rate was 86.7%.
What do RNs earn in the Omaha area?
The median is $84,600 a year, and a quarter of RNs there earn under $38.09 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The area employs 13,200 RNs.
Sources
- Pay and jobs: BLS OEWS, May 2025, all registered nurses.
- Board: NCSBN directory. Compact: nursecompact.com. Both read October 2026.
- Working before the NCLEX: Iowa Administrative Code 481, Chapter 617, read October 2026.
- NCLEX: NCSBN, 2025 NCLEX Examination Statistics, first-time U.S.-educated candidates. Portions copyrighted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. All rights reserved.
- Program counts: Vibe Nursing, Oct 29, 2026 (how we count).