Average Salaries in Ames, IA
Explore salaries across 247 occupations in Ames, IA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $64.7K, -1.6% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 247 occupations and 48,100 total jobs in Ames, IA.
How the metro compares
Wages in Ames, IA track close to the national average. Pay for most occupations here is similar to what workers earn nationally.
Ames, IA is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Family Medicine Physicians. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Ames, IA
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in Ames, IA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | $248K | 60 |
| Chief Executives | $206.1K | 110 |
| Dentists, General | $164K | 40 |
| Pharmacists | $139.7K | 70 |
| Managers, All Other | $138.1K | 120 |
| Human Resources Managers | $137.4K | 60 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $137K | 90 |
| Sales Managers | $133.2K | 110 |
| Marketing Managers | $132.1K | 110 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $131.3K | 130 |
Largest occupations in Ames, IA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 1,620 | $29.2K |
| Cashiers | 1,470 | $29.2K |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,460 | $32.5K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 1,110 | $36.2K |
| Registered Nurses | 1,070 | $77.2K |
| General And Operations Managers | 1,040 | $97.7K |
| Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,030 | $35.3K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 1,010 | $22.7K |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 780 | $30.4K |
| Nursing Assistants | 770 | $43.5K |
What Ames, IA specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Ames, IA than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Ames, IA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Farm And Home Management Educators | 33.67 | $60.8K |
| Agricultural Technicians | 25.16 | $48.4K |
| Soil And Plant Scientists | 23.82 | $65.1K |
| Biological Scientists, All Other | 8.21 | $82.7K |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics And Service Technicians | 6.23 | $63.5K |
| Veterinary Technologists And Technicians | 5.90 | $50.7K |
| Civil Engineering Technologists And Technicians | 5.89 | $79.2K |
| Budget Analysts | 4.44 | $84K |
| Prepress Technicians And Workers | 4.38 | $54.5K |
| Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic | 4.31 | $49.7K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Ames, IA
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.