Lawyers Salary
Lawyers in Ames, IA make a median of $125,200 a year, or about $60.19 an hour. The range runs from $70K at the entry level to $217K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.83), which stretches that salary to about $140,943 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,153/month, or 15.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $125K 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.
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What this looks like in Ames
Pay for lawyers in Ames runs about 22% below the U.S. median of $160K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,153/month, 15.4% 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 lawyerss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for lawyers in metros near Ames, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $135K | $147K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $125K | $140K |
| Cedar Rapids | $138K | $155K |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls | $127K | $145K |
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 lawyers (10th percentile) start around $70K. Mid-career wages sit at $125K. Top earners bring in $217K or more, a $147K spread from bottom to top.
Lawyers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Lawyers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $208K | +30% | 91,870 |
| District of Columbia | $195K | +22% | 33,070 |
| California | $195K | +22% | 95,770 |
| Massachusetts | $177K | +11% | 23,560 |
| Delaware | $174K | +9% | 2,920 |
| Colorado | $169K | +6% | 16,720 |
| Virginia | $167K | +5% | 18,580 |
| Connecticut | $164K | +2% | 8,420 |
| New Jersey | $161K | +1% | 23,160 |
| Illinois | $161K | +1% | 33,590 |
| Pennsylvania | $157K | -2% | 27,170 |
| Minnesota | $155K | -3% | 12,380 |
| Texas | $154K | -3% | 56,580 |
| Washington | $154K | -3% | 12,770 |
| Nevada | $151K | -6% | 6,490 |
| Alaska | $150K | -6% | 1,120 |
| Maryland | $139K | -13% | 13,810 |
| Rhode Island | $139K | -13% | 1,840 |
| Oregon | $138K | -13% | 7,150 |
| Tennessee | $136K | -15% | 9,010 |
| Georgia | $135K | -16% | 23,930 |
| Arizona | $134K | -16% | 11,640 |
| Missouri | $133K | -16% | 11,560 |
| Florida | $133K | -17% | 55,210 |
| Utah | $133K | -17% | 7,020 |
| Alabama | $132K | -17% | 6,730 |
| Ohio | $131K | -18% | 19,950 |
| Michigan | $131K | -18% | 16,620 |
| North Carolina | $128K | -20% | 17,000 |
| Vermont | $127K | -20% | 1,330 |
| Indiana | $127K | -21% | 8,970 |
| Wisconsin | $127K | -21% | 9,160 |
| Hawaii | $125K | -22% | 2,270 |
| Iowa | $124K | -23% | 3,550 |
| New Hampshire | $121K | -24% | 2,250 |
| South Carolina | $120K | -25% | 7,890 |
| New Mexico | $120K | -25% | 3,380 |
| Maine | $113K | -29% | 2,280 |
| Nebraska | $109K | -32% | 3,490 |
| North Dakota | $107K | -33% | 1,050 |
| Kansas | $107K | -33% | 4,190 |
| Louisiana | $104K | -35% | 10,200 |
| Montana | $104K | -35% | 2,380 |
| Idaho | $103K | -35% | 2,490 |
| Oklahoma | $103K | -35% | 6,980 |
| West Virginia | $102K | -36% | 2,440 |
| South Dakota | $102K | -36% | 1,360 |
| Kentucky | $102K | -36% | 5,770 |
| Wyoming | $100K | -37% | 900 |
| Arkansas | $99K | -38% | 3,430 |
| Mississippi | $92K | -43% | 3,100 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a lawyer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Ames?
Yes — at the median salary of $125K, rent takes 15.4% 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 lawyers in Ames?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new lawyers typically earn — is $70K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,199/month. At HUD’s $1,153/month FMR, rent would take 27% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is lawyer a high-paying job in Ames?
Local pay runs 22% below the national median — $125K here vs. $160K 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 lawyers?
Ames pays $125K median vs. the U.S. average of $160K — that’s -22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.83), the purchasing-power equivalent is $141K — below the national median.
How much do lawyers make in Ames, IA?
The median is $125,200 a year, that works out to about $60 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $69,990, and experienced lawyers can clear $216,730. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $125K enough to live in Ames?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,468/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,153/month, which eats 15.4% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a lawyers 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 lawyers salary is worth about $140,943 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do lawyers 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.