There are many reasons to consider building your career and life in Iowa. The state is home to employers across a wide range of industries and communities, with opportunities for recent graduates and young professionals to grow their careers, take on leadership roles, and become involved in their communities. Iowa also offers a relatively affordable cost of living and opportunities for work/life balance.

Learn more about what Iowa has to offer from the State of Iowa: 

  • Living and Working in Iowa — Explore information about Iowa’s workforce, communities, quality of life, and opportunities to live and work in the state.
  • Doing Business in Iowa — Learn more about Iowa’s business environment, industries, and advantages for employers.

The resources below can help you explore career options, identify employers, research communities, and search for employment opportunities throughout Iowa.

Statewide Resources

  • IowaWORKS – Iowa’s statewide job bank
  • State of Iowa Careers – Search job openings across Iowa state government and explore information about the application process, benefits, and total compensation.
  • TeachIowa – Search and apply for education jobs across Iowa, including teaching, support, and leadership positions.
  • Iowa Career Explorer – Explore careers in Iowa, including employment levels, projected growth, openings, wages, education requirements, skills, and county-level information.
  • Iowa Workforce Development – Provides statewide employment and workforce resources for Iowa job seekers. Search for jobs and explore free resources, services, and programs related to employment and workforce needs.

You can also use Handshake to identify career, employment, and engagement opportunities in Iowa. Filter by location to search statewide or focus on a specific Iowa city or community. A similar location-based search strategy can be used with many of the resources featured on our Comprehensive Job Listings page.

Regional Career Resources

Explore job opportunities in different areas of Iowa through regional job boards and major local employers. These are selected resources, not a comprehensive list.

Iowa City/Cedar Rapids Corridor

Greater Des Moines

Ames

Waterloo/Cedar Falls

Dubuque

  • Access Dubuque Jobs — Search job opportunities with employers throughout the Greater Dubuque region.

Quad Cities

Sioux City / Siouxland

Looking in another Iowa community? Many cities, counties, chambers of commerce, and regional economic development organizations maintain local job boards, employer directories, or other employment resources. Search these resources to identify employers, learn about local industries, and find job openings in the Iowa city or region where you hope to work. You can also research employers in the area and visit their websites directly to explore current opportunities. For more strategies and resources for conducting a location-based job search, visit Jobs Listings by Location.

Interested in public-sector work? City and county governments employ people in a wide range of areas, including administration, communications, planning, finance, human resources, parks and recreation, public health, and human services. You can also visit the websites of cities, counties, and local government agencies where you hope to work to explore current employment opportunities.