Ames, IA · CBSA 11180
Civil Engineer Salary in Ames
VerifiedPublished metro-area wages for civil engineers in Ames, IA, from the BLS OEWS May 2024 release — with the local distribution set against Iowa and the national benchmark.
Civil Engineers in Ames earn a median of $101,290 per year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $76,230–$116,730; the top 10% earn $123,100. That is 2% above the national median and 7% above the Iowa median. BLS reports 270 employed locally.
Median wage
Verified$101,290
+2% vs national
Top 10% earn
$123,100
90th percentile
Employed in metro
270
Reliability High (3.1% RSE)
Civil Engineer pay — Ames vs Iowa vs national
All three distributions are published BLS percentiles on a single shared scale.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $66,350 | +1% |
| 25th percentile | $76,230 | -3% |
| Median50th percentile | $101,290 | +2% |
| 75th percentile | $116,730 | -9% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $123,100 | -24% |
| Meanaverage | $97,910 | -9% |
How concentrated civil engineers are in Ames
Location quotient compares local concentration to the national rate. Above 1.00 means this metro employs the occupation more densely than the country overall.
Location quotient
2.09
Jobs per 1,000
4.81
Metro rank (pay)
#73 of 373
All engineering roles
$111,306
At a location quotient of 2.09, Ames is a genuine hub for this discipline — the occupation is roughly 2.1× as concentrated here as nationally, which usually means deeper employer competition and more lateral options.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a civil engineer make in Ames?
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Where does Ames rank nationally for civil engineers?
Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2051 (Civil Engineers), Ames, IA (metro area).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →