Registered Nurse Jobs in Iowa

Registered Nurse jobs in Iowa are in strong and steady demand, concentrated in hospital systems, long-term care facilities, home health agencies, and outpatient clinics, with openings available from new graduate to experienced charge nurse. The heaviest hiring activity is in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City, where employers like UnityPoint Health, MercyOne, and the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics maintain large and consistent nursing workforces. Critical care, medical-surgical, and emergency nursing are the specialties seeing the most consistent openings across the state. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.

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Overview

Open roles66
Top employerMaxim Healthcare
Top cityDubuque, IA
Cities hiring43
Work type100% On-site
Top industryInsurance

Showing 5 of 66+ Registered Nurse jobs

American Traveler
Travel RN - ICU
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American Traveler
New 18h ago
Travel RN - ICU
American Traveler
Des Moines, Iowa
Healthcare Administration
Nursing
Patient Services & Wellbeing
TNCC Certification
501-1,000

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UnityPoint Health
Clinic RN, LPN, or CMA - Family Medicine - Storm Lake
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UnityPoint Health
New 20h ago
Clinic RN, LPN, or CMA - Family Medicine - Storm Lake
UnityPoint Health
Storm Lake, Iowa
Healthcare Administration
Nursing
Patient Services & Wellbeing
10,000+

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UnityPoint Health
RN Acute-Outpatient Surgery-Lutheran
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UnityPoint Health
New 20h ago
RN Acute-Outpatient Surgery-Lutheran
UnityPoint Health
Des Moines, Iowa
Healthcare Administration
Nursing
Patient Services & Wellbeing
10,000+

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Care Initiatives
Assistant Director of Nursing (RN)
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Care Initiatives
New 21h ago
Assistant Director of Nursing (RN)
Care Initiatives
West Branch, Iowa
Corporate Training
Corporate Training & Learning Development
Teaching & Instruction
Managed Registered Nurses (RNs)
1,001-5,000

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Care Initiatives
Registered Nurse (RN) Mobile & Flexible
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Care Initiatives
New 21h ago
Registered Nurse (RN) Mobile & Flexible
Care Initiatives
Dubuque, Iowa
Healthcare Administration
Nursing
Patient Services & Wellbeing
CPR Certification
1,001-5,000

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Registered Nurse Jobs by City in Iowa

Where Iowa roles are concentrated, by current openings.

Dubuque
5 jobs
Cedar Rapids
5 jobs
Des Moines
4 jobs
Waterloo
3 jobs
Council Bluffs
3 jobs
West Des Moines
3 jobs
Clive
2 jobs
Clinton
2 jobs
Ottumwa
2 jobs

Registered Nurse Job Market in Iowa

A snapshot from current Iowa openings, updated as new roles post.

Who's Hiring

  • Maxim Healthcare
    Maxim Healthcare16
  • MercyOne
    MercyOne10
  • Care Initiatives
    Care Initiatives6
  • UnityPoint Health
    UnityPoint Health6
  • Mercy Cedar Rapids
    Mercy Cedar Rapids3

Top Industries Hiring

  • Insurance
  • Healthcare & Medical Services
  • Technology & Software

What Iowa Employers Look For

The qualifications that appear most often in registered nurse jobs across Iowa.

  • Active registered nurse license issued or recognized by the Iowa Board of Nursing
  • Associate or bachelor's degree in nursing from an accredited program
  • Current BLS certification required before starting clinical work
  • Minimum one year of acute care or specialty clinical experience preferred
  • Proficiency with electronic health record systems such as Epic or Cerner
  • Ability to work rotating shifts including nights, weekends, and holidays

Registered Nurse Jobs in Iowa: Frequently Asked Questions

How do you become a registered nurse in Iowa?

To become a registered nurse in Iowa, you must complete an accredited nursing program at the associate or bachelor's level, then pass the NCLEX-RN examination and apply for licensure through the Iowa Board of Nursing. Iowa is a Nursing Licensure Compact member state, so nurses already licensed in another compact state can work in Iowa without obtaining a separate Iowa license. New graduates should submit their application to the Iowa Board of Nursing promptly after passing the NCLEX.

How much do registered nurses make in Iowa?

Registered nurses in Iowa earn a median of about $78,630 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $63,840 for the lowest 10% to over $100,500 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.

Which companies hire registered nurses in Iowa?

Employers hiring registered nurses in Iowa right now include Maxim Healthcare, MercyOne, and Care Initiatives, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Iowa's largest nursing employers tend to be integrated health systems and academic medical centers with facilities distributed across multiple cities and rural communities throughout the state.

Which Iowa cities have the most registered nurse jobs?

Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, and Des Moines are the Iowa cities with the most registered nurse openings. Des Moines anchors the largest share of listings as the state's population center, home to major health systems and regional specialty hospitals, while Iowa City's openings are driven largely by the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, one of the Midwest's leading academic medical centers, and Cedar Rapids benefits from a dense concentration of community hospitals and long-term care networks.

Are there remote registered nurse jobs in Iowa?

Yes, but they're rare. About 0% of registered nurse openings tied to Iowa are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, which reflects how hands-on and facility-based the role is by nature. The registered nurse positions most likely to offer remote work are telephone triage, care management, utilization review, and insurance case management roles, where direct patient contact is replaced by phone or system-based assessment.

How can I get hired as a registered nurse in Iowa with little or no experience?

The most realistic entry path is applying directly to new graduate nurse residency programs, which large Iowa employers run specifically to bring early-career nurses up to clinical readiness. UnityPoint Health and MercyOne both operate structured residency programs that accept new graduates and provide supervised rotations in med-surg or critical care. Applicants who hold a current Iowa nursing license, even without hospital experience, are competitive for these programs. Nursing assistant or patient care technician roles at target employers also provide a recognized entry point.

Where can I find and apply to registered nurse jobs in Iowa?

You can find and apply to registered nurse jobs in Iowa on Migrate Mate, which lists current Iowa openings from employers across the state. Search the listings to find roles that match your specialty, preferred location, and experience level, then apply directly to the ones that fit.

See All 66 Registered Nurse Jobs in Iowa

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