Salary by Metro

May 2025 OEWS · Iowa

Highest-paying jobs in Ames, IA

All-occupations median

$50,220

10th percentile
$29,070
25th percentile
$36,500
Median
$50,220
75th percentile
$76,070
90th percentile
$104,180
Mean
$61,910

Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.

Employment across all occupations: 55,890.

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for this metro is 88.830, with the United States at 100. Compare prices.

Iowa · What this metro includes

A nurse attending an elderly patient in a hospital
A nurse with a patient at a hospital centre in Birmingham. Wellcome Collection. Photograph by Wellcome Collection. Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0

Highest published annual medians

Detailed occupations in Ames, IA with a published annual median, May 2025.
OccupationEmployment10thMedian90th
Family Medicine Physicians60$155,410$248,000$590,310
Chief Executives110$94,390$206,090$338,090
Dentists, General40$97,050$163,950$275,260
Pharmacists70$114,540$139,690$173,070
Managers, All Other120$64,090$138,110$227,960
Human Resources Managers60$98,810$137,390$224,650
Architectural and Engineering Managers90$112,120$137,010$162,470
Sales Managers110$72,450$133,150$235,760
Marketing Managers110$74,570$132,050$217,170
Computer and Information Systems Managers130$99,210$131,340$225,650
Software Developers470$74,990$129,440$165,040
Nurse Practitioners70$79,660$127,600$172,140
Lawyers90$69,990$125,200$216,730
Financial Managers220$76,510$124,010$229,400
Veterinarians80$83,020$118,240$200,180
Natural Sciences Managers90$60,270$116,540$191,960
Industrial Production Managers120$72,610$113,930$194,310
Information Security Analysts30$69,090$107,520$157,390
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary90$78,790$106,520$160,490
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products120$62,570$105,330$194,080
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers60$67,410$104,930$157,990
Electrical Engineers40$69,950$103,750$149,300
Medical and Health Services Managers280$75,070$103,730$168,120
Administrative Services Managers40$81,620$103,440$147,490
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives60$77,000$102,930$128,980
Computer Network Architects30$62,200$102,630$150,870
Civil Engineers290$66,350$100,200$127,370
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers40$76,200$100,170$111,370
Mechanical Engineers120$70,830$98,610$137,090
General and Operations Managers1,040$43,680$97,700$200,000
Project Management Specialists260$62,720$97,290$149,210
Computer Systems Analysts220$69,360$96,920$120,030
Construction Managers120$75,140$96,720$157,600
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers40$53,270$96,560$131,640
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval30$58,530$95,750$150,470
Engineers, All Other50$74,950$95,260$134,190
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists110$58,460$93,720$167,250
Computer Occupations, All Other160$36,720$92,310$161,530
Financial and Investment Analysts40$51,750$90,650$133,360
Physical Therapists70$67,530$90,610$119,890

Largest occupations

Largest detailed occupations in Ames, IA by May 2025 employment.
OccupationEmployment10thMedian90th
Fast Food and Counter Workers1,620$21,680$29,220$36,710
Cashiers1,470$23,280$29,230$36,430
Retail Salespersons1,460$26,450$32,460$46,130
Stockers and Order Fillers1,110$29,900$36,240$48,460
Registered Nurses1,070$64,360$77,160$99,440
General and Operations Managers1,040$43,680$97,700$200,000
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners1,030$29,540$35,300$47,180
Waiters and Waitresses1,010$15,080$22,710$50,610
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary780$22,500$30,420$36,500
Nursing Assistants770$37,010$43,540$48,920
Business Operations Specialists, All Other710$49,910$76,510$104,380
Office Clerks, General710$30,770$45,450$62,820
Home Health and Personal Care Aides700$32,030$35,660$44,980
Customer Service Representatives690$30,820$42,820$63,040
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General670$37,480$54,770$73,830
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand650$31,050$40,280$58,320
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers640$42,430$54,510$69,200
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive620$36,640$48,740$61,600
Construction Laborers600$39,950$49,810$71,380
Cooks, Restaurant570$29,380$36,410$48,200
Accountants and Auditors530$52,370$79,320$126,450
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers490$29,080$39,710$61,700
Software Developers470$74,990$129,440$165,040
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks470$32,770$47,970$68,010
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators470$37,940$49,360$59,840

Questions this page answers

What is the median wage in Ames, IA?

Across all occupations, the May 2025 median annual wage in Ames, IA is $50,220. Employment is 55,890.

Which published occupation has the highest median in Ames, IA?

Family Medicine Physicians has the highest published annual median on this list, $248,000, in the May 2025 OEWS estimates for Ames, IA.