Agricultural Equipment Operators Salary
The median pay for a agricultural equipment operators in Ames, IA is $47,610/year ($22.89/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $64K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.83), which stretches that salary to about $53,597 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,153/month, about 35.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $48K get you in Ames?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Ames’s Regional Price Parity (88.83). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About agricultural equipment operators
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What this looks like in Ames
Ames sits well above the national pay line for agricultural equipment operators, local pay runs about 14% higher than the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,153/month, which is 36.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.83 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for agricultural equipment operators in metros near Ames, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $46K | $50K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $45K | $51K |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls | $45K | $51K |
| Sioux City | $50K | $58K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Ames, IA
Entry-level agricultural equipment operators (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $64K or more, a $29K spread from bottom to top.
Agricultural Equipment Operators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Agricultural Equipment Operators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | $59K | +41% | 130 |
| Louisiana | $59K | +40% | 270 |
| New York | $50K | +20% | N/A |
| Delaware | $50K | +20% | 40 |
| Massachusetts | $49K | +18% | 40 |
| Minnesota | $49K | +16% | 900 |
| North Dakota | $48K | +15% | 430 |
| South Dakota | $48K | +15% | 240 |
| Virginia | $48K | +15% | 120 |
| Iowa | $47K | +13% | 1,530 |
| Ohio | $47K | +13% | 600 |
| Pennsylvania | $47K | +13% | 390 |
| Wisconsin | $47K | +13% | 830 |
| Nebraska | $47K | +12% | 1,090 |
| Maine | $46K | +11% | 60 |
| Missouri | $46K | +11% | 900 |
| Indiana | $46K | +11% | 810 |
| Illinois | $46K | +10% | 1,910 |
| Kansas | $46K | +9% | 670 |
| Oregon | $44K | +6% | 310 |
| Michigan | $42K | +2% | 460 |
| Kentucky | $42K | +1% | 190 |
| New Jersey | $42K | -0% | 70 |
| Maryland | $40K | -5% | 180 |
| North Carolina | $40K | -5% | 550 |
| Idaho | $39K | -7% | 490 |
| California | $39K | -7% | 7,940 |
| Washington | $38K | -8% | 550 |
| Tennessee | $38K | -10% | 390 |
| Colorado | $37K | -11% | N/A |
| Florida | $37K | -12% | 790 |
| Arizona | $37K | -12% | 730 |
| Mississippi | $36K | -13% | 280 |
| New Mexico | $36K | -15% | 130 |
| Georgia | $35K | -15% | 570 |
| Oklahoma | $35K | -16% | 170 |
| South Carolina | $34K | -17% | 380 |
| Texas | $34K | -18% | 2,200 |
| Alabama | $34K | -19% | 370 |
| Arkansas | $32K | -23% | 350 |
Showing 1–10 of 40 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track agricultural equipment operators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Ames numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a agricultural equipment operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Ames?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 36.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,153/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for agricultural equipment operators in Ames?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new agricultural equipment operators typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,089/month. At HUD’s $1,153/month FMR, rent would take 55% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is agricultural equipment operator a high-paying job in Ames?
Local pay is 14% above the national median — $48K here vs. $42K nationally.
How does Ames compare to the national average for agricultural equipment operators?
Ames pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s +14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.83), the purchasing-power equivalent is $54K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do agricultural equipment operators make in Ames, IA?
The median is $47,610 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,810, and experienced agricultural equipment operators can clear $64,000. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Ames?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,167/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,153/month, which eats 36.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a agricultural equipment operators salary go in Ames?
Ames has a Regional Price Parity of 88.83 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median agricultural equipment operators salary is worth about $53,597 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do agricultural equipment operators get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.