Ames, IA
Across all occupations in the Ames, IA metropolitan area, the median wage is $50,220 a year ($24.14 an hour) and the mean $61,910, May 2025. That median is −1% against the US median of $50,980 and +3% against Iowa's $48,540. BLS counts 55,890 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is family medicine physicians; the largest is fast food and counter workers.
All occupations: Ames, IA vs Iowa and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Ames, IA | Hourly | $13.98 | $17.55 | $24.14 | $36.57 | $50.09 | $29.77 | 55,890 |
| Annual | $29,070 | $36,500 | $50,220 | $76,070 | $104,180 | $61,910 | ||
| Iowa | Hourly | $13.91 | $17.58 | $23.34 | $33.79 | $47.90 | $28.76 | 1,559,240 |
| Annual | $28,930 | $36,570 | $48,540 | $70,290 | $99,630 | $59,830 | ||
| United States | Hourly | $15.00 | $18.07 | $24.51 | $38.71 | $61.81 | $33.54 | 155,495,730 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $37,590 | $50,980 | $80,520 | $128,560 | $69,770 | ||
246 detailed occupations publish a median in this area. State profile: Iowa. Compare any occupation across every area in the wage explorer.
20 highest-paying occupations in Ames, IA
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Family Medicine Physicians | $248,000 | $119.23 | 60 |
| 2 | Chief Executives | $206,090 | $99.08 | 110 |
| 3 | Dentists, General | $163,950 | $78.82 | 40 |
| 4 | Pharmacists | $139,690 | $67.16 | 70 |
| 5 | Managers, All Other in Iowa | $138,110 | $66.40 | 120 |
| 6 | Human Resources Managers | $137,390 | $66.05 | 60 |
| 7 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $137,010 | $65.87 | 90 |
| 8 | Sales Managers in Iowa | $133,150 | $64.02 | 110 |
| 9 | Marketing Managers | $132,050 | $63.49 | 110 |
| 10 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Iowa | $131,340 | $63.14 | 130 |
| 11 | Software Developers in Iowa | $129,440 | $62.23 | 470 |
| 12 | Nurse Practitioners | $127,600 | $61.34 | 70 |
| 13 | Lawyers in Iowa | $125,200 | $60.19 | 90 |
| 14 | Financial Managers in Iowa | $124,010 | $59.62 | 220 |
| 15 | Veterinarians | $118,240 | $56.85 | 80 |
| 16 | Natural Sciences Managers | $116,540 | $56.03 | 90 |
| 17 | Industrial Production Managers | $113,930 | $54.77 | 120 |
| 18 | Information Security Analysts | $107,520 | $51.69 | 30 |
| 19 | Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | $106,520 | * | 90 |
| 20 | Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | $105,330 | $50.64 | 120 |
Ranked by median; an occupation whose median BLS withholds or top-codes in this area cannot appear here, however well it pays.
20 largest occupations in Ames, IA
Most concentrated occupations in Ames, IA
The 10 occupations with the highest location quotient among those employing at least 100 people in the area. A quotient of 2.00 means the occupation's share of local jobs is twice its national share.
| Rank | Occupation | Location quotient | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Farm and Home Management Educators | 33.67 | 100 | 1.78 | $60,840 |
| 2 | Agricultural Technicians | 25.16 | 140 | 2.45 | $48,430 |
| 3 | Soil and Plant Scientists | 23.82 | 130 | 2.41 | $65,080 |
| 4 | Biological Scientists, All Other | 8.21 | 160 | 2.95 | $82,720 |
| 5 | Veterinary Technologists and Technicians | 5.90 | 270 | 4.90 | $50,730 |
| 6 | Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 5.89 | 150 | 2.59 | $79,210 |
| 7 | Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 4.31 | 190 | 3.46 | $49,670 |
| 8 | Computer Network Support Specialists | 3.85 | 200 | 3.62 | $82,360 |
| 9 | Library Assistants, Clerical | 3.61 | 110 | 1.98 | $30,070 |
| 10 | Butchers and Meat Cutters | 3.25 | 160 | 2.85 | $36,110 |
Occupation groups in Ames, IA
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $105,110 | $119,560 | 3,850 | 68.95 | 0.96 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $88,780 | $97,300 | 1,840 | 32.87 | 0.97 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $82,310 | $88,810 | 1,200 | 21.50 | 1.28 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $76,560 | $81,000 | 3,530 | 63.24 | 0.93 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $73,990 | $85,360 | 3,070 | 55.01 | 0.87 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $72,810 | $78,870 | 1,370 | 24.59 | 2.60 |
| Legal | $71,230 | $94,960 | 200 | 3.59 | 0.43 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $61,790 | $71,120 | 5,070 | 90.73 | 1.55 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $61,500 | $62,810 | 2,350 | 41.97 | 1.07 |
| Construction and Extraction | $59,280 | $60,100 | 2,280 | 40.80 | 0.99 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $57,110 | $60,140 | 770 | 13.76 | 1.05 |
| Protective Service | $53,250 | $57,830 | 730 | 13.14 | 0.54 |
| Community and Social Service | $50,260 | $58,050 | 990 | 17.63 | 1.03 |
| Production | $49,700 | $53,710 | 3,680 | 65.86 | 1.20 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $46,490 | $48,510 | 5,290 | 94.65 | 0.83 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $45,050 | $46,170 | 3,880 | 69.49 | 0.79 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $45,030 | $45,690 | 120 | 2.09 | 0.75 |
| Healthcare Support | $39,250 | $41,650 | 2,080 | 37.17 | 0.73 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $36,120 | $38,780 | 1,840 | 32.99 | 1.13 |
| Sales and Related | $34,950 | $46,400 | 4,750 | 85.05 | 0.99 |
| Personal Care and Service | $31,110 | $36,060 | 1,350 | 24.18 | 1.15 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $30,020 | $32,070 | 5,630 | 100.73 | 1.14 |
Every occupation in Iowa, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 246 published occupations for this area are in the wage explorer; other metros are on the metros hub.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Ames, IA estimates (area 11180).
*- Wage estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Jobs per 1,000 is the occupation's employment per 1,000 jobs in the Ames, IA area; the location quotient is that share divided by the national share.
- The concentration table keeps only occupations with employment of 100 or more in the area, so a quotient built on a handful of rounded jobs cannot top it.