Ames, IA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a high school teacher make in Ames, IA?

In the Ames, IA metropolitan area, high school teachers earned a median of $63,450 a year in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 310 of these jobs there. That is 26% above the $50,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $48,450 and $81,930; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $51,403 in take-home pay.

High school teacher pay in Ames, IA at a glance

Median salary

$63,450$5,288 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$48,450—
25th percentile$59,290—
75th percentile$77,320—
90th percentile$81,930—
Jobs in this metro310Location quotient 0.82 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here26% aboveAll-jobs median $50,220
Against Iowa4% aboveStatewide median $61,200
Against the U.S.12% belowNational median $72,040

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.

High school teacher salary in Ames, IA after taxes

$63,450
$25,000$130,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$63,450
Net 81%
Fed 9%
IA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$51,403After all taxes
Monthly deposit$4,284Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,977Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate19%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$5,434 / yr
Iowa state income tax$1,759 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$4,854 / yr

High school teachers 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 high school teachers earned in the Ames, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile—$4,038$48,450$39,920
25th percentile—$4,941$59,290$48,218
MedianMedian—$5,288$63,450$51,403
75th percentile—$6,443$77,320$60,938
90th percentile—$6,828$81,930$64,006

Is $63,450 a good salary in Ames, IA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for high school teachers 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 household86.8%of area median income

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

High school teacher pay in Ames, IA: common questions

What is the median salary for high school teachers in Ames, IA?

The BLS median annual wage for high school teachers in the Ames, IA metro area was $63,450 in May 2025, about $5,288 a month. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $61,200, so the metro pays 4% above the state.

Is there an hourly rate for high school teachers in Ames, IA?

BLS publishes pay for this job as an annual salary only, because the hours worked in a year vary too much to state a meaningful hourly rate.

How many high school teachers work in Ames, IA?

BLS estimated 310 jobs for high school teachers in the metro in May 2025, or 5.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.82 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for high school teachers in Ames, IA?

BLS wage estimates for high school teachers in Ames, IA run from $48,450 at the 10th percentile to $59,290 at the 25th, $77,320 at the 75th, and $81,930 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do high school teachers take home after taxes in Ames, IA?

On a median gross salary of $63,450, an estimated $51,403 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,977 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $12,047 (an effective rate of 19%).

How much do high school teachers make per month in Ames, IA?

On the median annual salary of $63,450, gross monthly income is $5,288. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $4,284 per month (or $1,977 every two weeks).

Is $63,450 a good salary in Ames, IA?

At $63,450, the median salary for high school teachers is 86.8% of the Ames, IA median household income ($73,127). It is 26% above 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.