SOC 13-1020 · Ames, IA metro

Buyers and Purchasing Agents Salary in Ames, IA

The average salary for buyers and purchasing agents in Ames, Iowa is $75,280 a year ($36.19 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $68,880: half of the 180 people in this job in the Ames, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 11% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($84,376).

$75,280average per year

$36.19 / hourMedian $68,880Take-home ≈ $59,541

  • $49K10th
  • $58K25th
  • $69KMedian
  • $83K75th
  • $106K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

180people in this job
-11%vs U.S. metro average
#5 of 8Iowa metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
Advertisement

Buyers and Purchasing Agents pay range in Ames

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,640 a year or less, while the top 10% make $106,230 or more. The middle half of buyers and purchasing agents in Ames earn between $57,600 and $82,890.

  • $49K10th
  • $58K25th
  • $69KMedian
  • $83K75th
  • $106K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$75,280$6,273$36.19
Median$68,880$5,740$33.12
Entry level (25th percentile)$57,600$4,800$27.69
Experienced (75th percentile)$82,890$6,908$39.85

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Buyers and Purchasing Agents salary after taxes in Ames

On the average salary of $75,280, a single filer in Ames takes home about $59,541 a year, or $4,962 a month and $2,290 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Advertisement

Is Ames a good place for buyers and purchasing agents? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Ames area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.8), so the average $75,280 buys what about $84,746 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Ames ($50,220). A typical home costs $280,269, or 3.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $75,280 is worth in another city

Buyers and Purchasing Agents salary in other Iowa cities

Ames ranks 5th of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job; Davenport pays the most ($87,920).

All Buyers and Purchasing Agents salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for buyers and purchasing agents

Lexington Park, MD pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($114,770).

Buyers and Purchasing Agents salary by city

Advertisement

Does this match what you are paid?

Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.

Share your pay anonymously

Reviewed before it counts. Buyers and Purchasing Agents in Ames, IA.

Buyers and Purchasing Agents salary in Ames: questions

How much do buyers and purchasing agents make an hour in Ames?

$36.19 an hour on average, and $33.12 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level buyers and purchasing agents salary in Ames?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,640 a year and the 25th percentile is $57,600, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the buyers and purchasing agents take-home pay in Ames?

About $59,541 a year ($4,962 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $75,280. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do buyers and purchasing agents earn more in Ames than elsewhere?

The average here is 11% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($84,376).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 13-1020; area Ames, IA (11180). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.6%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.03, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.