Top 10 Tech Apprenticeships, Internships and Entry-Level Jobs in Des Moines, IA in 2026

Table of Contents

• Introduction: Des Moines Tech Career Garden
• Iowa Tech Connect
• DMACC Workforce Training Academy
• Per Scholas
• RFA Engineering
• Dwolla Internship
• Workiva Internship
• Wells Fargo Technology Programs
• Principal Financial Group IT Pipeline
• Iowa Registered Apprenticeship
• Year Up United
• Application Strategy for Des Moines
• Frequently Asked Questions

Iowa Tech Connect

Before planting a single seed in your career garden, a wise gardener tests the soil. Iowa Tech Connect serves precisely that exploratory function. This initiative by the Technology Association of Iowa isn't a job posting but a critical networking bridge, designed to connect early-career professionals with veteran mentors from the area's largest employers.

For career-changers or recent graduates new to the Midwest, this network demystifies the local market. It provides insider advice on navigating everything from the formal recruiting cycles at Principal Financial Group to the agile hiring at a fintech startup. As noted by local tech professionals, success in Des Moines often comes from "finding people on LinkedIn" and building a database of major local employers, a process this program facilitates directly.

Engaging here is a strategic, low-commitment way to root your search in the professional community. It allows you to identify which specific company cultures and technical needs align with your goals, directly informing which of the hands-on opportunities on this list will be your best personal fit. Think of it as scouting the entire plot before you decide where to plant your first seed for maximum growth.

DMACC Workforce Training Academy

For career changers seeking the fastest route from training to a paycheck, the DMACC Workforce Training Academy (WTA) is a standout cultivation plot. These short-term, intensive bootcamps, often lasting just weeks to months, are explicitly designed for those pivoting into tech with immediate income needs.

Programs focus on high-demand fundamentals like IT/Helpdesk Support and Cybersecurity, leading directly to industry-recognized certifications such as CompTIA A+. As showcased in graduate testimonials, the flexible schedule is a key advantage, allowing participants to maintain employment while skill-building. One former student, for instance, secured a role in a specialized hospital billing department thanks to the certifications earned.

Graduates are primed for foundational IT roles across Des Moines's vast healthcare, insurance, and corporate sectors, with starting salaries typically ranging from $40,000 to $55,000. The WTA’s core strength is its practical efficiency - it rapidly cultivates talent that meets the explicit technical needs of local employers, offering a clear, accelerated pathway into the workforce.

Per Scholas

Accessibility is the hallmark of Per Scholas, a national nonprofit that removes the financial barrier to tech entry. It provides no-cost, immersive training to individuals with low-to-moderate incomes, with remote-accessible programs that make it a viable option for Des Moines residents regardless of their starting point.

The 13-to-15-week courses focus on practical skill stacks like IT Support, Cybersecurity, and AI-enabled workflows, culminating in certifications like Google IT Support and CompTIA A+. According to the organization's 2024 Annual Report, graduates see an average salary increase of $4,100 after completing their training. With quarterly cohorts, the program offers flexibility outside traditional academic calendars.

For someone in Des Moines looking to pivot without upfront tuition, Per Scholas offers a rigorous, respected pathway. The curriculum’s focus on support and security roles aligns perfectly with the foundational IT needs of major local employers in healthcare and retail. By first checking your eligibility for Per Scholas tech training, you can tap into a program designed to cultivate in-demand skills for both remote and local opportunities in Iowa's growing tech soil.

RFA Engineering

For the new computer science graduate or bootcamp completer ready to dive into complex, hands-on development, RFA Engineering in Urbandale offers a compelling, direct-entry pathway. This role bypasses extended training periods for immediate, impactful employment in engineering software and embedded systems.

With a starting salary range of $65,000 to $90,000, this position demonstrates that Des Moines-area tech salaries can compete with larger hubs, especially when accounting for Iowa's significantly lower cost of living. This competitive offering is part of a robust local market for software talent, as seen in broader listings of entry-level software developer roles in Des Moines.

Success here requires a strong portfolio of personal or academic projects, particularly in languages like C++, Python, or Java, and the proven ability to solve practical engineering problems. It’s a role for the self-starter who is prepared to contribute from day one in a specialized technical environment, cultivating deep expertise in tangible product development right in the Silicon Prairie.

Dwolla Internship

To get your hands dirty in Des Moines’ growing fintech and startup ecosystem, an internship at Dwolla is a prime opportunity. This payments infrastructure company offers interns a chance to work directly on live production code and API development, providing a level of impact and responsibility that is a hallmark of the agile startup environment.

While compensation is at competitive startup rates, the real currency is the experience and the networking within the local StartupDSM community. This immersion is invaluable for understanding the fast-paced, product-centric world of tech startups that are adding dynamic new growth to the region's economic soil.

An internship here can be a direct launchpad into other InsurTech and fintech roles in the city or provide the foundational experience to launch your own venture. It’s ideal for the student or early-career professional who thrives by seeing their work ship quickly and values being cultivated within a close-knit, innovative professional network.

Workiva Internship

Representing the upper echelon of local pure-play tech companies, Workiva offers an internship program cultivated for high achievement. With its major presence in the Ames/Des Moines corridor, the program is known for premium tech compensation - often over $30 per hour - and exposure to sophisticated SaaS development, quality assurance, and product design workflows.

The recruiting cycle demands foresight, with applications typically due in the fall for the following summer. This early timeline underscores the program's selectivity and prestige within what local experts call the competitive "Silicon Prairie" landscape. Securing a spot requires planning and a strong academic or project portfolio.

More than just a summer job, an internship at Workiva provides immersion in a strong culture of peer mentorship and places you within a network of the region's top software engineers. It’s a top-tier cultivation ground for students aiming not just for technical experience, but for a respected full-time career path anchored in Iowa's thriving tech soil.

Wells Fargo Technology Programs

With one of its major operational hubs in West Des Moines, Wells Fargo runs a large-scale, highly structured corporate pathway into technology. Its internship program offers robust resources and a clear trajectory, serving as a nutrient-rich bed to grow foundational corporate-tech skills.

Interns can work in areas like information security, systems engineering, and data analytics over a 10-week summer period, earning between $25 and $35 per hour based on their academic standing. The program features formal mentorship from senior engineers and has a strong track record of converting interns into full-time hires. As with other major corporate programs, planning is key; applications for these competitive tech internships in Iowa typically open in August for the following summer.

For students seeking the stability, breadth of experience, and career-advancing cost-of-living advantage offered by a global financial institution rooted in Des Moines, this program is a powerhouse. It cultivates talent within a system designed for long-term professional growth in the financial technology sector.

Principal Financial Group IT Pipeline

Headquartered in downtown Des Moines, Principal Financial Group operates one of the most sought-after premium cultivation systems in the city's tech garden. Its IT Internship is a 10-12 week summer immersion into the tech engine of a Fortune 500 financial services giant, with work in cloud computing, data engineering, and agile software development.

The internship is a primary feeder into Principal’s prestigious Technology Leadership Development Program (TLDP), a multi-year rotational program for full-time hires. Interns earn a competitive hourly wage, estimated between $22 and $30, and benefit from a high return-offer rate. Recruiting for this structured pathway peaks between September and November for the following summer, as detailed in resources from the Iowa Office of Apprenticeship which outlines the formal frameworks many large employers follow.

This pathway is ideal for students who envision a long-term career at the intersection of finance and technology and value deep company integration. It represents a corporate commitment to growing talent internally, offering a clear, cultivated route into some of the most stable and advanced tech roles in the Des Moines market.

Iowa Registered Apprenticeship

For a genuine "earn-while-you-learn" model with deep roots in Iowa's professional soil, the state-led Iowa Registered Apprenticeship program is a gold standard. Administered through Iowa Workforce Development, these apprenticeships typically last 1-2 years, combining paid, hands-on work - averaging $42,000 per year - with related classroom instruction.

This pathway is celebrated for its strong community integration and outcomes. As Kelsie Mouchka, an associate principal at Des Moines Central Campus, noted, such programs "bring fresh, skilled talent" into local organizations. The model has proven successful, with the first IT Registered Apprenticeship in Des Moines public schools hailed as a transformative "win, win, win" for students, schools, and employers.

Upon completion, apprentices receive a nationally recognized journeyman certificate and benefit from high local retention rates. This pathway offers remarkably low financial risk, a guaranteed salary, and a direct, proven route into stable tech roles at a wide array of Des Moines companies. You can begin forging this new career path as an apprentice in Iowa through IowaWORKS, tapping into a system designed to cultivate loyal, homegrown talent for the state's economy.

Year Up United

Our top-ranked program for 2026 is Year Up United, a national initiative that epitomizes a transformative, high-support pathway into tech for young adults (18-29) without a four-year degree. Its one-year hybrid model - six months of intensive technical and professional skills training followed by a six-month internship at a corporate partner - is perfectly tailored to Des Moines’ employer landscape, with partners including giants like Principal Financial Group.

Participants earn a weekly stipend during training and, upon graduation, secure starting salaries averaging $53,000. The program reports an impressive 72% job placement rate within four months of completion, supported by unparalleled wraparound services including dedicated mentors and coaches. This proven model for workforce integration is recognized by organizations like the Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development for its positive outcomes.

In a city whose strength is its interconnected business community, Year Up doesn't just teach skills; it fully integrates you into the professional ecosystem. For its proven results, comprehensive support, and powerful alignment with Des Moines’ corporate anchors, Year Up offers the most complete and effective cultivation system for new tech talent in the region. Explore their job training and internship placement model to begin your transformation.

Application Strategy for Des Moines

The volume of tech opportunities in Des Moines is robust for a metro its size, offering a crucial trade-off: less frenetic competition than major hubs paired with a much higher quality of living per dollar earned. To harvest the right opportunity, you must tailor your cultivation strategy to the specific pathway.

For structured corporate internships at Principal or Wells Fargo, apply early - often in late summer or fall 2025 for summer 2026 roles - and highlight collaborative academic projects and alignment with the company's core financial or insurance business. Leveraging a network-building program like Iowa Tech Connect can provide the mentorship and insider knowledge to strengthen these applications.

For agile startups like Dwolla, your demonstrable skills carry more weight. A public GitHub portfolio with clean, functional code and personal projects often proves more valuable than a perfect GPA. Engage with the local StartupDSM ecosystem to understand the fast-paced, product-centric culture you're hoping to join.

For apprenticeships and training academies, programs value grit, curiosity, and a demonstrated commitment to building your career in Iowa. As evidenced by the high local retention rates from Iowa's registered apprenticeships, your intent to grow deep roots in the community is a key metric for success in these earn-while-you-learn models.

Frequently Asked Questions