Soil and Plant Scientists pay range in Ames
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $50,210 a year or less, while the top 10% make $130,160 or more. The middle half of soil and plant scientists in Ames earn between $50,210 and $96,890.
- $50K10th
- $50K25th
- $65KMedian
- $97K75th
- $130K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $78,630 | $6,552 | $37.80 |
| Median | $65,080 | $5,423 | $31.29 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $50,210 | $4,184 | $24.14 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $96,890 | $8,074 | $46.58 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Soil and Plant Scientists salary after taxes in Ames
On the average salary of $78,630, a single filer in Ames takes home about $61,770 a year, or $5,148 a month and $2,376 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% 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 soil and plant scientists? 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 $78,630 buys what about $88,517 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Ames ($50,220). A typical home costs $280,269, or 3.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Soil and Plant Scientists salary in other Iowa cities
Ames ranks 4th of 4 Iowa metro areas for this job; Des Moines pays the most ($123,060).
- Des Moines$123,060
- Iowa City$98,310
- Cedar Rapids$94,210
- Ames$78,630
Highest-paying cities for soil and plant scientists
San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($124,130).
- San Francisco, CA$124,130
- Des Moines, IA$123,060
- San Jose, CA$122,130
- Salinas, CA$111,560
- Washington, DC$107,020
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Soil and Plant Scientists salary in Ames: questions
How much do soil and plant scientists make an hour in Ames?
$37.81 an hour on average, and $31.29 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level soil and plant scientists salary in Ames?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $50,210 a year and the 25th percentile is $50,210, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the soil and plant scientists take-home pay in Ames?
About $61,770 a year ($5,148 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $78,630. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
Do soil and plant scientists earn more in Ames than elsewhere?
The average here is 10% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($86,955).
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 19-1013; area Ames, IA (11180). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.8%.
- 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 23.82, this job is 23.8 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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