Civil Engineers pay range in Ames
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $66,350 a year or less, while the top 10% make $127,370 or more. The middle half of civil engineers in Ames earn between $77,550 and $120,230.
- $66K10th
- $78K25th
- $100KMedian
- $120K75th
- $127K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $100,720 | $8,393 | $48.42 |
| Median | $100,200 | $8,350 | $48.17 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $77,550 | $6,462 | $37.28 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $120,230 | $10,019 | $57.80 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Civil Engineers salary after taxes in Ames
On the average salary of $100,720, a single filer in Ames takes home about $76,471 a year, or $6,373 a month and $2,941 every two weeks. Taxes take 24% 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.
Is Ames a good place for civil engineers? 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 $100,720 buys what about $113,385 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Ames ($50,220). A typical home costs $280,269, or 2.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Civil Engineers salary in other Iowa cities
Ames ranks 2nd of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job; Des Moines pays the most ($102,460).
- Des Moines$102,460
- Ames$100,720
- Dubuque$100,160
- Iowa City$99,760
- Sioux City$99,160
- Waterloo$99,060
- Cedar Rapids$98,610
- Davenport$98,430
Highest-paying cities for civil engineers
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($137,910).
- San Jose, CA$137,910
- San Francisco, CA$136,350
- Napa, CA$130,620
- Sacramento, CA$129,650
- Redding, CA$124,340
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Civil Engineers salary in Ames: questions
How much do civil engineers make an hour in Ames?
$48.42 an hour on average, and $48.17 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level civil engineers salary in Ames?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $66,350 a year and the 25th percentile is $77,550, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the civil engineers take-home pay in Ames?
About $76,471 a year ($6,373 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $100,720. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
Do civil engineers earn more in Ames than elsewhere?
The average here is 8% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($109,384).
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 17-2051; area Ames, IA (11180). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.0%.
- 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 2.20, this job is 2.2 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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