Ames, IA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a bookkeeper make in Ames, IA?

In the Ames, IA metropolitan area, bookkeepers earned a median of $47,970 a year ($23.06 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 470 of these jobs there. That is 4% below the $50,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $32,770 and $68,010; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $39,553 in take-home pay.

Bookkeeper pay in Ames, IA at a glance

Median salary

$47,970$23.06 per hour · $3,998 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$32,770$15.76/hr
25th percentile$39,520$19.00/hr
75th percentile$59,000$28.36/hr
90th percentile$68,010$32.70/hr
Jobs in this metro470Location quotient 0.95 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here4% belowAll-jobs median $50,220
Against Iowaabout the same asStatewide median $48,180
Against the U.S.5% belowNational median $50,670

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Bookkeeper salary in Ames, IA after taxes

$47,970
$15,000$100,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$47,970
Net 82%
Fed 7%
IA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$39,553After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,296Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,521Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,576 / yr
Iowa state income tax$1,171 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,670 / yr

Bookkeepers pay range in Ames, IA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Ames, IA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What bookkeepers earned in the Ames, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile$15.76/hr$2,731$32,770$27,917
25th percentile$19.00/hr$3,293$39,520$33,084
MedianMedian$23.06/hr$3,998$47,970$39,553
75th percentile$28.36/hr$4,917$59,000$47,996
90th percentile$32.70/hr$5,668$68,010$54,742

Is $47,970 a good salary in Ames, IA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for bookkeepers next to both.

Median household income$73,127Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)88.811.2% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household65.6%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Bookkeeper pay in Ames, IA: common questions

What is the median salary for bookkeepers in Ames, IA?

The BLS median annual wage for bookkeepers in the Ames, IA metro area was $47,970 in May 2025, about $3,998 a month or $23.06 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $48,180, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for bookkeepers in Ames, IA?

The median hourly wage for bookkeepers in Ames, IA was $23.06 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.76 an hour and one in ten earned more than $32.70.

How many bookkeepers work in Ames, IA?

BLS estimated 470 jobs for bookkeepers in the metro in May 2025, or 8.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.95 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for bookkeepers in Ames, IA?

BLS wage estimates for bookkeepers in Ames, IA run from $32,770 at the 10th percentile to $39,520 at the 25th, $59,000 at the 75th, and $68,010 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do bookkeepers take home after taxes in Ames, IA?

On a median gross salary of $47,970, an estimated $39,553 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,521 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,417 (an effective rate of 17.5%).

How much do bookkeepers make per month in Ames, IA?

On the median annual salary of $47,970, gross monthly income is $3,998. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,296 per month (or $1,521 every two weeks).

Is $47,970 a good salary in Ames, IA?

At $47,970, the median salary for bookkeepers is 65.6% of the Ames, IA median household income ($73,127). It is 4% below the $50,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 88.8, so prices here run 11.2% below the U.S. average.