How many sign shops are in Iowa, and what do they pay?
Where Iowa sits in the state ranking
| # | State | Sign shops | Employees | Avg pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | Kansas | 907 | $68,014 | |
| 32 | Nevada | 1,232 | $73,398 | |
| 33 | Iowa | 511 | $60,709 | |
| 34 | Mississippi | 554 | $49,901 | |
| 35 | Idaho | 560 | $56,730 |
Every state's shop count, ranked, is on the home page. The most shops: Texas with 748. U.S. total: 7,672 shops, 76,766 employees, $65,386 average pay.
Sign shops in Iowa since 2014
Iowa had 51 sign shops in 2014 and 62 in 2025, 11 more. Average pay moved from $39,750 to $60,709, up 52.7%. Every state's pay, ranked, is on the sign maker salary page.
| Year | Sign shops | Employees | Weekly pay | Annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 62 | 511 | $1,167 | $60,709 |
| 2024 | 65 | 518 | $1,107 | $57,576 |
| 2023 | 64 | 495 | $1,083 | $56,292 |
| 2022 | 63 | 502 | $1,041 | $54,152 |
| 2021 | 57 | 467 | $974 | $50,652 |
| 2020 | 58 | 470 | $947 | $49,257 |
| 2019 | 59 | 503 | $897 | $46,648 |
| 2018 | 61 | 511 | $872 | $45,357 |
| 2017 | 60 | 494 | $880 | $45,763 |
| 2016 | 57 | 487 | $825 | $42,925 |
| 2015 | 51 | 481 | $797 | $41,444 |
| 2014 | 51 | 482 | $764 | $39,750 |
Sign shops by metro area in Iowa
The largest metro areas touching Iowa, from the BLS 2024 metro figures, the latest year published for metro areas. A metro area that crosses a state line is counted whole. "Concentration" compares sign shops' share of the area's private employers with their share nationally (1.00× = the national share).
| Metro area | Sign shops | Employees | Avg pay | Concentration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha areaNebraska, Iowa | 20 | — | — | 1.09× |
| Des Moines area | 14 | — | — | 0.81× |
| Cedar Rapids area | 7 | — | — | 1.22× |
| Davenport areaIowa, Illinois | 6 | 28 | $50,816 | 0.91× |
| Sioux City areaIowa, Nebraska, South Dakota | 4 | — | — | 1.36× |
| Waterloo area | 4 | — | — | 1.25× |
| Ames area | 3 | — | — | 1.25× |
| Dubuque area | 2 | — | — | 0.85× |
Every metro area, ranked by sign shops.
Putting up a sign in Iowa
What these shops charge is set by the square foot for most sign types, with materials, finishing and installation on top. For a sense of the going rate, PrinterFlo's sign price calculator prices a sign or banner by size and material in two clicks; the pay figures above are what that revenue supports.
Common questions
How many sign shops are in Iowa?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 62 sign manufacturing establishments in Iowa in 2025 (annual average, private employers), ranking Iowa 33 of 51 states. Together they employed 511 people, about 8.2 per shop.
How much do sign makers make in Iowa?
Average annual pay across Iowa's sign shops was $60,709 in 2025, 7% below the U.S. sign industry average of $65,386. That is total payroll divided by employment, so it blends fabricators, designers, installers and owners on payroll.
What counts as a sign shop in these figures?
An establishment with payroll classified under NAICS 339950, Sign Manufacturing: businesses whose main activity is making signs, including electric and non-electric signs, channel letters, printed banners and vehicle graphics. Print shops, engravers and installation contractors classified under other codes are not included, and neither are owner-only shops with no employees.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), annual averages, private ownership, NAICS 339950 Sign Manufacturing, Iowa, 2014 to 2025 annual averages (metro areas 2024), read September 24, 2026. Average pay = total annual wages ÷ annual average employment. Ranks computed from the 51 states with a published establishment count.