Chief Executives Salary
Chief Executives in Ames, IA make a median of $206,090 a year, or about $99.08 an hour. The range runs from $94K at the entry level to $338K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.83), which stretches that salary to about $232,005 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,153/month, or 9.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $206K 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 chief executives
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What this looks like in Ames
Chief executives pay in Ames tracks closely to the national median, $206K locally vs. $214K nationwide, a 4% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,153/month, 9.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chief executives in metros near Ames, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $291K | $317K |
| Cedar Rapids | $182K | $205K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $205K | $230K |
| Sioux City | $221K | $255K |
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 chief executives (10th percentile) start around $94K. Mid-career wages sit at $206K. Top earners bring in $338K or more, a $244K spread from bottom to top.
Chief Executives pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Chief Executives salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $342K | +60% | 910 |
| Washington | $340K | +59% | 3,170 |
| Illinois | $332K | +55% | 4,620 |
| North Carolina | $314K | +47% | 1,930 |
| Virginia | $311K | +45% | 4,870 |
| New Jersey | $310K | +45% | 2,430 |
| Connecticut | $295K | +38% | 1,660 |
| Hawaii | $282K | +32% | 470 |
| South Dakota | $281K | +31% | 510 |
| New York | $258K | +21% | 8,430 |
| Texas | $258K | +20% | 8,780 |
| Michigan | $256K | +19% | 4,950 |
| Indiana | $254K | +19% | 1,820 |
| Maryland | $249K | +16% | 3,180 |
| Rhode Island | $235K | +10% | 460 |
| Pennsylvania | $233K | +9% | 8,850 |
| California | $219K | +2% | 34,700 |
| Nebraska | $215K | +0% | 2,510 |
| Colorado | $213K | -0% | N/A |
| Iowa | $211K | -1% | 3,050 |
| Wisconsin | $208K | -3% | N/A |
| Georgia | $208K | -3% | 4,080 |
| Delaware | $200K | -7% | 390 |
| Tennessee | $199K | -7% | 4,700 |
| Minnesota | $196K | -9% | 6,740 |
| Montana | $182K | -15% | 670 |
| Kentucky | $180K | -16% | 2,070 |
| Idaho | $177K | -17% | 2,920 |
| Ohio | $176K | -18% | 4,470 |
| Vermont | $175K | -18% | 360 |
| Missouri | $172K | -19% | 2,550 |
| Utah | $172K | -20% | 3,140 |
| South Carolina | $169K | -21% | 1,740 |
| New Hampshire | $169K | -21% | N/A |
| Alaska | $167K | -22% | 640 |
| Alabama | $166K | -22% | 810 |
| North Dakota | $165K | -23% | 380 |
| Oklahoma | $164K | -23% | 2,390 |
| Kansas | $158K | -26% | 1,960 |
| West Virginia | $152K | -29% | 1,700 |
| Nevada | $150K | -30% | 1,370 |
| Wyoming | $148K | -31% | 60 |
| Mississippi | $139K | -35% | 310 |
| Maine | $139K | -35% | 1,580 |
| New Mexico | $124K | -42% | 100 |
| Arkansas | $120K | -44% | 3,550 |
Showing 1–10 of 46 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track chief executives salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Ames numbers change.
Related careers in Management
Frequently asked questions
Can a chief executif afford a 2BR apartment alone in Ames?
Yes — at the median salary of $206K, rent takes 9.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,153/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chief executives in Ames?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chief executives typically earn — is $94K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,663/month. At HUD’s $1,153/month FMR, rent would take 20% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is chief executif a high-paying job in Ames?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $206K locally vs. $214K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Ames compare to the national average for chief executives?
Ames pays $206K median vs. the U.S. average of $214K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.83), the purchasing-power equivalent is $232K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do chief executives make in Ames, IA?
The median is $206,090 a year, that works out to about $99 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $94,390, and experienced chief executives can clear $338,090. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $206K enough to live in Ames?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $11,842/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,153/month, which eats 9.7% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a chief executives 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 chief executives salary is worth about $232,005 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chief executives 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.