SOC 53-3031 · Ames, IA metro

Driver/Sales Workers Salary in Ames, IA

The average salary for driver/sales workers in Ames, Iowa is $35,030 a year ($16.84 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $28,760: half of the 130 people in this job in the Ames, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 14% less than the U.S. average for this job ($40,730).

$35,030average per year

$16.84 / hourMedian $28,760Take-home ≈ $29,607

  • $18K10th
  • $24K25th
  • $29KMedian
  • $43K75th
  • $59K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

130people in this job
-14%vs U.S. average
#8 of 8Iowa metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Driver/Sales Workers pay range in Ames

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $18,000 a year or less, while the top 10% make $58,730 or more. The middle half of driver/sales workers in Ames earn between $24,400 and $43,400.

  • $18K10th
  • $24K25th
  • $29KMedian
  • $43K75th
  • $59K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$35,030$2,919$16.84
Median$28,760$2,397$13.83
Entry level (25th percentile)$24,400$2,033$11.73
Experienced (75th percentile)$43,400$3,617$20.87

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

Driver/Sales Workers pay in Ames vs. Iowa and the U.S.

Driver/sales workers in Ames earn 23% less than the Iowa average ($45,260) and 14% less than the U.S. average ($40,730). At the median the gap is -26% against the U.S. median of $38,770.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Ames$35,030$28,760$18,000$58,730130
Iowa$45,260$47,120$22,670$64,7604,400
United States$40,730$38,770$22,590$59,980409,180

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Driver/Sales Workers salary after taxes in Ames

On the average salary of $35,030, a single filer in Ames takes home about $29,607 a year, or $2,467 a month and $1,139 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% 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.

Iowa paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Ames a good place for driver/sales workers? 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 $35,030 buys what about $39,435 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Ames ($50,220). A typical home costs $280,269, or 8.0 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $35,030 is worth in another city

Driver/Sales Workers salary in other Iowa cities

Ames ranks 8th of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job; Davenport pays the most ($48,300).

All Driver/Sales Workers salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for driver/sales workers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($55,520).

Driver/Sales Workers salary by city

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Driver/Sales Workers salary in Ames: questions

How much do driver/sales workers make an hour in Ames?

$16.84 an hour on average, and $13.83 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level driver/sales workers salary in Ames?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $18,000 a year and the 25th percentile is $24,400, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the driver/sales workers take-home pay in Ames?

About $29,607 a year ($2,467 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $35,030. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do driver/sales workers earn more in Ames than elsewhere?

The average here is 14% less than the U.S. average for this job ($40,730).

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 53-3031; area Ames, IA (11180). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 10.1%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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 0.89, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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