Ames, IA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a medical secretary make in Ames, IA?

In the Ames, IA metropolitan area, medical secretaries earned a median of $40,210 a year ($19.33 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 420 of these jobs there. That is 20% below the $50,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,530 and $49,030; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $33,613 in take-home pay.

Medical secretary pay in Ames, IA at a glance

Median salary

$40,210$19.33 per hour · $3,351 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,530$16.60/hr
25th percentile$37,200$17.89/hr
75th percentile$45,980$22.11/hr
90th percentile$49,030$23.57/hr
Jobs in this metro420Location quotient 1.20 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here20% belowAll-jobs median $50,220
Against Iowa2% belowStatewide median $40,980
Against the U.S.12% belowNational median $45,930

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.

Medical secretary salary in Ames, IA after taxes

$40,210
$15,000$85,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$40,210
Net 84%
Fed 7%
IA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$33,613After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,801Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,293Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,645 / yr
Iowa state income tax$876 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,076 / yr

Medical secretaries 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 medical secretaries earned in the Ames, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile$16.60/hr$2,878$34,530$29,265
25th percentile$17.89/hr$3,100$37,200$31,308
MedianMedian$19.33/hr$3,351$40,210$33,613
75th percentile$22.11/hr$3,832$45,980$38,029
90th percentile$23.57/hr$4,086$49,030$40,364

Is $40,210 a good salary in Ames, IA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for medical secretaries 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 household55%of area median income

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

Medical secretary pay in Ames, IA: common questions

What is the median salary for medical secretaries in Ames, IA?

The BLS median annual wage for medical secretaries in the Ames, IA metro area was $40,210 in May 2025, about $3,351 a month or $19.33 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $40,980, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for medical secretaries in Ames, IA?

The median hourly wage for medical secretaries in Ames, IA was $19.33 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.60 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.57.

How many medical secretaries work in Ames, IA?

BLS estimated 420 jobs for medical secretaries in the metro in May 2025, or 7.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.20 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for medical secretaries in Ames, IA?

BLS wage estimates for medical secretaries in Ames, IA run from $34,530 at the 10th percentile to $37,200 at the 25th, $45,980 at the 75th, and $49,030 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $40,210, an estimated $33,613 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,293 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,597 (an effective rate of 16.4%).

How much do medical secretaries make per month in Ames, IA?

On the median annual salary of $40,210, gross monthly income is $3,351. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,801 per month (or $1,293 every two weeks).

Is $40,210 a good salary in Ames, IA?

At $40,210, the median salary for medical secretaries is 55% of the Ames, IA median household income ($73,127). It is 20% 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.