Industrial Engineers Salary
Industrial Engineers in Ames, IA make a median of $88,650 a year, or about $42.62 an hour. The range runs from $63K at the entry level to $133K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.83), which stretches that salary to about $99,797 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,153/month, or 20.6% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $89K 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 industrial engineers
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What this looks like in Ames
Pay for industrial engineers in Ames runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $102K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,153/month, 20.9% 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. Lower pay, lower costs, Ames can be a reasonable trade-off for industrial engineerss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for industrial engineers in metros near Ames, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $104K | $117K |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $98K | $107K |
| Cedar Rapids | $100K | $112K |
| Dubuque | $109K | $125K |
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 industrial engineers (10th percentile) start around $63K. Mid-career wages sit at $89K. Top earners bring in $133K or more, a $70K spread from bottom to top.
Industrial Engineers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Industrial Engineers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $157K | +53% | 220 |
| Washington | $129K | +26% | 6,130 |
| Oregon | $128K | +25% | 5,810 |
| New Mexico | $128K | +25% | 1,140 |
| California | $125K | +22% | 32,680 |
| Hawaii | $124K | +21% | 50 |
| Louisiana | $123K | +20% | 1,710 |
| Wyoming | $122K | +19% | 240 |
| Delaware | $120K | +17% | 820 |
| Maryland | $120K | +17% | 3,900 |
| Colorado | $110K | +7% | 5,200 |
| Massachusetts | $109K | +7% | 11,470 |
| Rhode Island | $109K | +7% | 990 |
| West Virginia | $108K | +6% | 850 |
| Arizona | $108K | +6% | 7,520 |
| Texas | $105K | +2% | 30,980 |
| Montana | $104K | +2% | 390 |
| Connecticut | $104K | +2% | 6,020 |
| Utah | $104K | +1% | 5,520 |
| New Jersey | $104K | +1% | 6,870 |
| District of Columbia | $103K | +1% | 160 |
| Vermont | $103K | +1% | 440 |
| Minnesota | $103K | +0% | 17,580 |
| New York | $103K | +0% | 11,810 |
| Virginia | $103K | +0% | 5,580 |
| Nevada | $102K | -0% | 1,570 |
| Michigan | $102K | -1% | 30,990 |
| Florida | $102K | -1% | 14,050 |
| New Hampshire | $101K | -1% | 1,940 |
| South Carolina | $101K | -1% | 7,960 |
| Maine | $101K | -1% | 1,030 |
| Idaho | $101K | -2% | 1,330 |
| Illinois | $101K | -2% | 18,640 |
| Georgia | $100K | -2% | 8,940 |
| Ohio | $100K | -2% | 23,480 |
| Alabama | $100K | -2% | 7,650 |
| Kansas | $100K | -3% | 3,450 |
| Pennsylvania | $100K | -3% | 13,180 |
| North Carolina | $99K | -3% | 11,580 |
| Missouri | $99K | -3% | 5,070 |
| Tennessee | $99K | -3% | 7,440 |
| Arkansas | $98K | -4% | 1,710 |
| Nebraska | $98K | -4% | 1,160 |
| Iowa | $98K | -5% | 3,600 |
| Oklahoma | $98K | -5% | 2,170 |
| Indiana | $97K | -5% | 11,680 |
| Wisconsin | $97K | -5% | 13,070 |
| North Dakota | $97K | -5% | 600 |
| Kentucky | $97K | -5% | 6,070 |
| Mississippi | $96K | -6% | 2,450 |
| South Dakota | $93K | -9% | 830 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track industrial engineers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a industrial engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Ames?
Yes — at the median salary of $89K, rent takes 20.9% 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 industrial engineers in Ames?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new industrial engineers typically earn — is $63K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,775/month. At HUD’s $1,153/month FMR, rent would take 31% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is industrial engineer a high-paying job in Ames?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $89K here vs. $102K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Ames compare to the national average for industrial engineers?
Ames pays $89K median vs. the U.S. average of $102K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.83), the purchasing-power equivalent is $100K — below the national median.
How much do industrial engineers make in Ames, IA?
The median is $88,650 a year, that works out to about $43 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $62,910, and experienced industrial engineers can clear $132,690. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $89K enough to live in Ames?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,510/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,153/month, which eats 20.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a industrial 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 industrial engineers salary is worth about $99,797 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do industrial 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.