Ames, IA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a lawyer make in Ames, IA?

In the Ames, IA metropolitan area, lawyers earned a median of $125,200 a year ($60.19 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 90 of these jobs there. That is 149% above the $50,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $69,990 and $216,730; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $92,734 in take-home pay.

Lawyer pay in Ames, IA at a glance

Median salary

$125,200$60.19 per hour · $10,433 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$69,990$33.65/hr
25th percentile$86,760$41.71/hr
75th percentile$150,390$72.31/hr
90th percentile$216,730$104.20/hr
Jobs in this metro90Location quotient 0.35 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here149% aboveAll-jobs median $50,220
Against Iowa1% aboveStatewide median $123,550
Against the U.S.22% belowNational median $159,670

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.

Lawyer salary in Ames, IA after taxes

$125,200
$50,000$255,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$125,200
Net 74%
Fed 15%
IA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$92,734After all taxes
Monthly deposit$7,728Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$3,567Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate25.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$18,782 / yr
Iowa state income tax$4,106 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$9,578 / yr

Lawyers 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 lawyers earned in the Ames, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile$33.65/hr$5,833$69,990$56,060
25th percentile$41.71/hr$7,230$86,760$67,221
MedianMedian$60.19/hr$10,433$125,200$92,734
75th percentile$72.31/hr$12,533$150,390$108,995
90th percentile$104.20/hr$18,061$216,730$153,665

Is $125,200 a good salary in Ames, IA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for lawyers 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 household171.2%of area median income

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

Lawyer pay in Ames, IA: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for lawyers in the Ames, IA metro area was $125,200 in May 2025, about $10,433 a month or $60.19 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $123,550, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

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

The median hourly wage for lawyers in Ames, IA was $60.19 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $33.65 an hour and one in ten earned more than $104.20.

How many lawyers work in Ames, IA?

BLS estimated 90 jobs for lawyers in the metro in May 2025, or 1.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.35 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

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

BLS wage estimates for lawyers in Ames, IA run from $69,990 at the 10th percentile to $86,760 at the 25th, $150,390 at the 75th, and $216,730 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $125,200, an estimated $92,734 lands in net take-home pay per year ($3,567 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $32,466 (an effective rate of 25.9%).

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

On the median annual salary of $125,200, gross monthly income is $10,433. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $7,728 per month (or $3,567 every two weeks).

Is $125,200 a good salary in Ames, IA?

At $125,200, the median salary for lawyers is 171.2% of the Ames, IA median household income ($73,127). It is 149% 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.