SOC 17-2199 · Ames, IA metro

Engineers, All Other Salary in Ames, IA

The average salary for other engineers in Ames, Iowa is $99,480 a year ($47.83 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $95,260: half of the 50 people in this job in the Ames, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 22% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($126,739).

$99,480average per year

$47.83 / hourMedian $95,260Take-home ≈ $75,646

  • $75K10th
  • $82K25th
  • $95KMedian
  • $115K75th
  • $134K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

50people in this job
-22%vs U.S. metro average
#5 of 6Iowa metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Engineers, All Other pay range in Ames

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $74,950 a year or less, while the top 10% make $134,190 or more. The middle half of other engineers in Ames earn between $81,950 and $114,830.

  • $75K10th
  • $82K25th
  • $95KMedian
  • $115K75th
  • $134K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$99,480$8,290$47.83
Median$95,260$7,938$45.80
Entry level (25th percentile)$81,950$6,829$39.40
Experienced (75th percentile)$114,830$9,569$55.21

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

Engineers, All Other salary after taxes in Ames

On the average salary of $99,480, a single filer in Ames takes home about $75,646 a year, or $6,304 a month and $2,909 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.

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Is Ames a good place for other 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 $99,480 buys what about $111,989 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.9 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.

See what $99,480 is worth in another city

Engineers, All Other salary in other Iowa cities

Ames ranks 5th of 6 Iowa metro areas for this job; Cedar Rapids pays the most ($111,160).

All Engineers, All Other salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for other engineers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($171,140).

Engineers, All Other salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Engineers, All Other in Ames, IA.

Engineers, All Other salary in Ames: questions

How much do other engineers make an hour in Ames?

$47.83 an hour on average, and $45.80 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level other engineers salary in Ames?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $74,950 a year and the 25th percentile is $81,950, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the other engineers take-home pay in Ames?

About $75,646 a year ($6,304 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $99,480. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do other engineers earn more in Ames than elsewhere?

The average here is 22% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($126,739).

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 17-2199; area Ames, IA (11180). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.6%.
  • 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 0.81, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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