Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay range in Ames
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,980 a year or less, while the top 10% make $47,320 or more. The middle half of cooks, institution and cafeteria in Ames earn between $34,090 and $38,130.
- $29K10th
- $34K25th
- $37KMedian
- $38K75th
- $47K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $37,200 | $3,100 | $17.88 |
| Median | $36,540 | $3,045 | $17.57 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $34,090 | $2,841 | $16.39 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $38,130 | $3,178 | $18.33 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salary after taxes in Ames
On the average salary of $37,200, a single filer in Ames takes home about $31,268 a year, or $2,606 a month and $1,203 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% 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 cooks, institution and cafeteria? 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 $37,200 buys what about $41,878 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Ames ($50,220). A typical home costs $280,269, or 7.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salary in other Iowa cities
Ames ranks 1st of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Ames$37,200
- Des Moines$36,120
- Cedar Rapids$35,680
- Davenport$35,520
- Dubuque$35,520
- Iowa City$35,360
- Sioux City$35,200
- Waterloo$34,640
Highest-paying cities for cooks, institution and cafeteria
Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($57,770).
- Kahului, HI$57,770
- San Jose, CA$54,290
- Seattle, WA$53,820
- Barnstable, MA$52,850
- San Francisco, CA$52,440
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Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salary in Ames: questions
How much do cooks, institution and cafeteria make an hour in Ames?
$17.89 an hour on average, and $17.57 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, institution and cafeteria salary in Ames?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,980 a year and the 25th percentile is $34,090, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, institution and cafeteria take-home pay in Ames?
About $31,268 a year ($2,606 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $37,200. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
Do cooks, institution and cafeteria earn more in Ames than elsewhere?
The average here is 6% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($39,648).
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 35-2012; area Ames, IA (11180). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.2%.
- 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 2.37, this job is 2.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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