Ames, IA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a retail salesperson make in Ames, IA?

In the Ames, IA metropolitan area, retail salespersons earned a median of $32,460 a year ($15.60 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,460 of these jobs there. That is 35% below the $50,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $26,450 and $46,130; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $27,680 in take-home pay.

Retail salesperson pay in Ames, IA at a glance

Median salary

$32,460$15.60 per hour · $2,705 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$26,450$12.71/hr
25th percentile$28,730$13.81/hr
75th percentile$36,740$17.66/hr
90th percentile$46,130$22.18/hr
Jobs in this metro1,460Location quotient 1.04 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here35% belowAll-jobs median $50,220
Against Iowa4% aboveStatewide median $31,360
Against the U.S.8% belowNational median $35,410

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.

Retail salesperson salary in Ames, IA after taxes

$32,460
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$32,460
Net 85%
Fed 5%
IA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$27,680After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,307Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,065Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,715 / yr
Iowa state income tax$582 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,483 / yr

Retail salespersons 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 retail salespersons earned in the Ames, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile$12.71/hr$2,204$26,450$23,038
25th percentile$13.81/hr$2,394$28,730$24,825
MedianMedian$15.60/hr$2,705$32,460$27,680
75th percentile$17.66/hr$3,062$36,740$30,956
90th percentile$22.18/hr$3,844$46,130$38,144

Is $32,460 a good salary in Ames, IA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for retail salespersons 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 household44.4%of area median income

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

Retail salesperson pay in Ames, IA: common questions

What is the median salary for retail salespersons in Ames, IA?

The BLS median annual wage for retail salespersons in the Ames, IA metro area was $32,460 in May 2025, about $2,705 a month or $15.60 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $31,360, so the metro pays 4% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for retail salespersons in Ames, IA?

The median hourly wage for retail salespersons in Ames, IA was $15.60 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $12.71 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.18.

How many retail salespersons work in Ames, IA?

BLS estimated 1,460 jobs for retail salespersons in the metro in May 2025, or 26.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.04 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for retail salespersons in Ames, IA?

BLS wage estimates for retail salespersons in Ames, IA run from $26,450 at the 10th percentile to $28,730 at the 25th, $36,740 at the 75th, and $46,130 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $32,460, an estimated $27,680 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,065 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,780 (an effective rate of 14.7%).

How much do retail salespersons make per month in Ames, IA?

On the median annual salary of $32,460, gross monthly income is $2,705. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,307 per month (or $1,065 every two weeks).

Is $32,460 a good salary in Ames, IA?

At $32,460, the median salary for retail salespersons is 44.4% of the Ames, IA median household income ($73,127). It is 35% 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.