Highest-paying jobs in Ames
Highest-paying jobs in Ames
The rich are getting richer, and have been for some time.
Across the nation, wages have continued to rise this year despite the Federal Reserve's efforts to temper inflation. In June, average weekly earnings grew at a higher rate than the Consumer Price Index, the nation's primary inflation indicator.
While pay is increasing across income levels, the historical growth for high-income jobs has been most profound. High-income jobs have grown 69% over the past 50 years—more than both middle- and lower-income jobs, a Pew Trusts analysis shows.
The highest earners in the U.S. are what you'd expect: doctors and other medical professionals, engineers, tech workers, executives, and corporate leaders. Nationally, the 50 top-paying jobs all require at least a bachelor's degree, and many require a master's, doctorate, or another professional degree. Indeed, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that higher degree holders earn more in a typical week and face lower rates of unemployment.
Still, the exact positions that pay the most vary depending on where in the country you are located. Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the 50 highest-paying jobs in Ames. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2022, so jobs without annual compensation estimates available were excluded from this analysis.
#50. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $73,830
- Median hourly wage: $35.49
- Total employment: 90 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#48. Chemists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $76,540
- Median hourly wage: $36.80
- Total employment: 40 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#48. Loan officers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $76,540
- Median hourly wage: $36.80
- Total employment: 60 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#47. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $76,640
- Median hourly wage: $36.85
- Total employment: 970 people (21.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#46. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $77,640
- Median hourly wage: $37.33
- Total employment: 90 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#45. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $77,790
- Median hourly wage: $37.40
- Total employment: 50 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#44. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $78,360
- Median hourly wage: $37.67
- Total employment: 40 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#43. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $78,550
- Median hourly wage: $37.76
- Total employment: 60 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#42. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $79,290
- Median hourly wage: $38.12
- Total employment: 40 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#41. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $79,310
- Median hourly wage: $38.13
- Total employment: 60 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#39. Veterinarians (tie)
- Median annual wage: $79,580
- Median hourly wage: $38.26
- Total employment: 110 people (2.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#39. Budget analysts (tie)
- Median annual wage: $79,580
- Median hourly wage: $38.26
- Total employment: 70 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#38. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $80,610
- Median hourly wage: $38.75
- Total employment: 100 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#37. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $81,660
- Median hourly wage: $39.26
- Total employment: 60 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#36. Biological scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $82,220
- Median hourly wage: $39.53
- Total employment: 60 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#35. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $82,390
- Median hourly wage: $39.61
- Total employment: 220 people (4.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#34. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $82,660
- Median hourly wage: $39.74
- Total employment: 80 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#33. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $83,210
- Median hourly wage: $40.01
- Total employment: 30 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#32. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $83,790
- Median hourly wage: $40.28
- Total employment: 80 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#31. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $85,340
- Median hourly wage: $41.03
- Total employment: 60 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#30. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $87,400
- Median hourly wage: $42.02
- Total employment: 70 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#29. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $87,810
- Median hourly wage: $42.22
- Total employment: 30 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#28. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $88,400
- Median hourly wage: $42.50
- Total employment: 30 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#27. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $88,490
- Median hourly wage: $42.55
- Total employment: 90 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#26. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $88,810
- Median hourly wage: $42.70
- Total employment: 40 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#25. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $90,190
- Median hourly wage: $43.36
- Total employment: 270 people (5.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#24. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $91,640
- Median hourly wage: $44.06
- Total employment: 180 people (3.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#23. Clinical and counseling psychologists
- Median annual wage: $93,590
- Median hourly wage: $45.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#22. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $93,950
- Median hourly wage: $45.17
- Total employment: 210 people (4.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#21. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $95,420
- Median hourly wage: $45.87
- Total employment: 70 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#20. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $97,230
- Median hourly wage: $46.74
- Total employment: 210 people (4.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#19. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $97,780
- Median hourly wage: $47.01
- Total employment: 60 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#18. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $98,040
- Median hourly wage: $47.13
- Total employment: 80 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#17. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $99,010
- Median hourly wage: $47.60
- Total employment: 190 people (4.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#16. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $100,600
- Median hourly wage: $48.37
- Total employment: 50 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#15. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $102,960
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#14. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $105,730
- Median hourly wage: $50.83
- Total employment: 340 people (7.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#13. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $108,410
- Median hourly wage: $52.12
- Total employment: 240 people (5.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#12. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $108,850
- Median hourly wage: $52.33
- Total employment: 40 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#11. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $109,990
- Median hourly wage: $52.88
- Total employment: 100 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#10. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $118,270
- Median hourly wage: $56.86
- Total employment: 180 people (3.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#9. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $121,980
- Median hourly wage: $58.64
- Total employment: 40 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#8. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $122,180
- Median hourly wage: $58.74
- Total employment: 70 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#7. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $128,660
- Median hourly wage: $61.86
- Total employment: 70 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#6. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $129,060
- Median hourly wage: $62.05
- Total employment: 60 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#5. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $130,580
- Median hourly wage: $62.78
- Total employment: 50 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#4. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $130,950
- Median hourly wage: $62.96
- Total employment: 100 people (2.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#3. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $132,240
- Median hourly wage: $63.58
- Total employment: 100 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#2. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $168,440
- Median hourly wage: $80.98
- Total employment: 100 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Family medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $231,120
- Median hourly wage: $111.11
- Total employment: 60 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
