Civil Engineers Salary
Civil Engineers in Ames, IA make a median of $100,200 a year, or about $48.17 an hour. The range runs from $66K at the entry level to $127K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.83), which stretches that salary to about $112,800 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,153/month, or 18.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $100K 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 civil engineers
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What this looks like in Ames
Civil engineers pay in Ames tracks closely to the national median, $100K locally vs. $101K nationwide, a 1% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,153/month, 18.8% 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 civil engineers in metros near Ames, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $97K | $106K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $93K | $104K |
| Cedar Rapids | $96K | $107K |
| Iowa City | $93K | $102K |
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 civil engineers (10th percentile) start around $66K. Mid-career wages sit at $100K. Top earners bring in $127K or more, a $61K spread from bottom to top.
Civil Engineers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Civil Engineers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $123K | +21% | 55,180 |
| Alaska | $115K | +14% | 1,670 |
| Washington | $110K | +9% | 12,590 |
| Massachusetts | $107K | +6% | 9,450 |
| Louisiana | $105K | +5% | 3,780 |
| Oregon | $105K | +4% | 4,890 |
| New Jersey | $105K | +4% | 6,900 |
| Nevada | $104K | +3% | 3,560 |
| New Mexico | $104K | +3% | 1,350 |
| District of Columbia | $104K | +3% | 1,650 |
| New York | $104K | +3% | 17,500 |
| Connecticut | $103K | +2% | 4,370 |
| Nebraska | $103K | +2% | 2,360 |
| South Carolina | $102K | +1% | 7,180 |
| Minnesota | $101K | +1% | 4,710 |
| Colorado | $101K | +1% | 13,290 |
| Kentucky | $101K | +0% | 2,690 |
| North Carolina | $101K | -0% | 12,810 |
| Maryland | $101K | -0% | 5,240 |
| Delaware | $100K | -1% | 920 |
| Mississippi | $100K | -1% | 1,770 |
| Illinois | $100K | -1% | 13,910 |
| Rhode Island | $99K | -2% | 1,270 |
| Alabama | $99K | -2% | 5,370 |
| Oklahoma | $99K | -2% | 2,180 |
| New Hampshire | $99K | -2% | 1,620 |
| South Dakota | $99K | -2% | 1,440 |
| Florida | $99K | -2% | 23,750 |
| Indiana | $98K | -3% | 4,030 |
| North Dakota | $98K | -3% | 1,380 |
| Idaho | $98K | -3% | 2,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $98K | -3% | 15,870 |
| Maine | $98K | -3% | 1,240 |
| Virginia | $97K | -4% | 11,350 |
| Kansas | $97K | -4% | 2,880 |
| Texas | $97K | -4% | 34,870 |
| Utah | $97K | -4% | 5,670 |
| Iowa | $96K | -4% | 2,500 |
| Ohio | $96K | -5% | 10,560 |
| Tennessee | $96K | -5% | 5,790 |
| Vermont | $96K | -5% | 770 |
| Wisconsin | $95K | -6% | 7,410 |
| Hawaii | $94K | -7% | 2,640 |
| Montana | $93K | -8% | 1,870 |
| Missouri | $93K | -8% | 5,760 |
| Michigan | $92K | -9% | 7,760 |
| Wyoming | $91K | -10% | 990 |
| Arizona | $90K | -11% | 5,940 |
| West Virginia | $87K | -14% | 1,300 |
| Arkansas | $85K | -16% | 1,870 |
| Georgia | $84K | -16% | 9,400 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track civil engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Ames numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a civil engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Ames?
Yes — at the median salary of $100K, rent takes 18.8% 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 civil engineers in Ames?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new civil engineers typically earn — is $66K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,981/month. At HUD’s $1,153/month FMR, rent would take 29% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is civil engineer a high-paying job in Ames?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $100K locally vs. $101K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Ames compare to the national average for civil engineers?
Ames pays $100K median vs. the U.S. average of $101K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.83), the purchasing-power equivalent is $113K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do civil engineers make in Ames, IA?
The median is $100,200 a year, that works out to about $48 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $66,350, and experienced civil engineers can clear $127,370. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $100K enough to live in Ames?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,133/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,153/month, which eats 18.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a civil engineers 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 civil engineers salary is worth about $112,800 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do civil engineers 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.