SOC 13-1151 · Ames, IA metro

Training and Development Specialists Salary in Ames, IA

The average salary for training and development specialists in Ames, Iowa is $77,030 a year ($37.04 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $67,860: half of the 170 people in this job in the Ames, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($76,117).

$77,030average per year

$37.04 / hourMedian $67,860Take-home ≈ $60,705

  • $48K10th
  • $60K25th
  • $68KMedian
  • $85K75th
  • $125K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

170people in this job
+1%vs U.S. metro average
#3 of 8Iowa metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Training and Development Specialists pay range in Ames

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,070 a year or less, while the top 10% make $124,530 or more. The middle half of training and development specialists in Ames earn between $59,870 and $85,280.

  • $48K10th
  • $60K25th
  • $68KMedian
  • $85K75th
  • $125K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$77,030$6,419$37.03
Median$67,860$5,655$32.62
Entry level (25th percentile)$59,870$4,989$28.78
Experienced (75th percentile)$85,280$7,107$41.00

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

Training and Development Specialists salary after taxes in Ames

On the average salary of $77,030, a single filer in Ames takes home about $60,705 a year, or $5,059 a month and $2,335 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.

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Is Ames a good place for training and development specialists? 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 $77,030 buys what about $86,716 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.4 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.

See what $77,030 is worth in another city

Training and Development Specialists salary in other Iowa cities

Ames ranks 3rd of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job; Des Moines pays the most ($81,780).

All Training and Development Specialists salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for training and development specialists

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($109,240).

Training and Development Specialists salary by city

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Training and Development Specialists salary in Ames: questions

How much do training and development specialists make an hour in Ames?

$37.04 an hour on average, and $32.62 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level training and development specialists salary in Ames?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,070 a year and the 25th percentile is $59,870, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the training and development specialists take-home pay in Ames?

About $60,705 a year ($5,059 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $77,030. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do training and development specialists earn more in Ames than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($76,117).

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 13-1151; area Ames, IA (11180). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.6%.
  • 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 1.02, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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