Ames, IA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a cashier make in Ames, IA?

In the Ames, IA metropolitan area, cashiers earned a median of $29,230 a year ($14.05 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,470 of these jobs there. That is 42% below the $50,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $23,280 and $36,430; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $25,207 in take-home pay.

Cashier pay in Ames, IA at a glance

Median salary

$29,230$14.05 per hour · $2,436 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$23,280$11.19/hr
25th percentile$28,350$13.63/hr
75th percentile$33,180$15.95/hr
90th percentile$36,430$17.51/hr
Jobs in this metro1,470Location quotient 1.33 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here42% belowAll-jobs median $50,220
Against Iowa1% aboveStatewide median $28,970
Against the U.S.11% belowNational median $32,880

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.

Cashier salary in Ames, IA after taxes

$29,230
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$29,230
Net 86%
Fed 5%
IA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$25,207After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,101Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$970Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,328 / yr
Iowa state income tax$459 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,236 / yr

Cashiers 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 cashiers earned in the Ames, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile$11.19/hr$1,940$23,280$20,548
25th percentile$13.63/hr$2,363$28,350$24,531
MedianMedian$14.05/hr$2,436$29,230$25,207
75th percentile$15.95/hr$2,765$33,180$28,231
90th percentile$17.51/hr$3,036$36,430$30,719

Is $29,230 a good salary in Ames, IA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for cashiers 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 household40%of area median income

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

Cashier pay in Ames, IA: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for cashiers in the Ames, IA metro area was $29,230 in May 2025, about $2,436 a month or $14.05 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $28,970, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

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

The median hourly wage for cashiers in Ames, IA was $14.05 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.19 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.51.

How many cashiers work in Ames, IA?

BLS estimated 1,470 jobs for cashiers in the metro in May 2025, or 26.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.33 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

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

BLS wage estimates for cashiers in Ames, IA run from $23,280 at the 10th percentile to $28,350 at the 25th, $33,180 at the 75th, and $36,430 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $29,230, an estimated $25,207 lands in net take-home pay per year ($970 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,023 (an effective rate of 13.8%).

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

On the median annual salary of $29,230, gross monthly income is $2,436. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,101 per month (or $970 every two weeks).

Is $29,230 a good salary in Ames, IA?

At $29,230, the median salary for cashiers is 40% of the Ames, IA median household income ($73,127). It is 42% 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.