SOC 29-1171 · Ames, IA metro

Nurse Practitioners Salary in Ames, IA

The average salary for nurse practitioners in Ames, Iowa is $130,780 a year ($62.88 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $127,600: half of the 70 people in this job in the Ames, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 5% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($138,268).

$130,780average per year

$62.88 / hourMedian $127,600Take-home ≈ $96,296

  • $80K10th
  • $105K25th
  • $128KMedian
  • $140K75th
  • $172K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

70people in this job
-5%vs U.S. metro average
#8 of 8Iowa metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Nurse Practitioners pay range in Ames

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $79,660 a year or less, while the top 10% make $172,140 or more. The middle half of nurse practitioners in Ames earn between $104,750 and $140,360.

  • $80K10th
  • $105K25th
  • $128KMedian
  • $140K75th
  • $172K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$130,780$10,898$62.88
Median$127,600$10,633$61.35
Entry level (25th percentile)$104,750$8,729$50.36
Experienced (75th percentile)$140,360$11,697$67.48

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

Nurse Practitioners salary after taxes in Ames

On the average salary of $130,780, a single filer in Ames takes home about $96,296 a year, or $8,025 a month and $3,704 every two weeks. Taxes take 26% 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 nurse practitioners? 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 $130,780 buys what about $147,225 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Ames ($50,220). A typical home costs $280,269, or 2.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $130,780 is worth in another city

Nurse Practitioners salary in other Iowa cities

Ames ranks 8th of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job; Des Moines pays the most ($138,820).

All Nurse Practitioners salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for nurse practitioners

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($225,610).

Nurse Practitioners salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Nurse Practitioners in Ames, IA.

Nurse Practitioners salary in Ames: questions

How much do nurse practitioners make an hour in Ames?

$62.88 an hour on average, and $61.34 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level nurse practitioners salary in Ames?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $79,660 a year and the 25th percentile is $104,750, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the nurse practitioners take-home pay in Ames?

About $96,296 a year ($8,025 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $130,780. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do nurse practitioners earn more in Ames than elsewhere?

The average here is 5% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($138,268).

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 29-1171; area Ames, IA (11180). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.2%.
  • 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 0.62, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.62).

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