Civil engineer · Ames, IA
Civil engineer in Ames: $3,826/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median civil engineer wage in Ames at $100,200 a year. About 290 civil engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a larger share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 2.20). The 10th percentile is $66,350 and the 90th is $127,370. Pay ranks 107th-highest of 368 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 11.0× a year of one-bedroom rent ($760/mo). Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $3,826 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Mankato, about 148 miles away, at $4,890 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Left over each month
$3,826
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$100,200
$66,350 to $127,370
Rent (1 bd)
$760
$905 (2 bd)
Employment
290
Location quotient 2.20
Pay rank
107th of 368
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
11.0×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, civil engineer pay of $100,200.
- Taxes$2,048
- Rent$760
- Other living costs$1,716
- Left over$3,826
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $100,200
- Federal income tax
- −$13,658
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$7,665
- State income tax (IA)
- −$3,253
- Take-home pay
- $75,624
- Effective tax rate
- 24.5%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $760
- Groceries
- $347
- Getting around
- $457
- Healthcare
- $391
- Utilities and internet
- $217
- Everything else
- $304
- Total spending
- $2,476
Left over each month
$8,350 gross, minus $2,048 in tax and $2,476 in living costs.
$3,826
Rank every metro for a civil engineer
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Mankato, $4,890/mo.
Civil engineer leftover by city →Best cities for civil engineers to move to →Civil engineer nearby
Other jobs in Ames
- Registered nurse
- Software developer
- Elementary school teacher
- High school teacher
- Accountant / auditor
- Truck driver (heavy)
- Electrician
- Lawyer
- Police officer
- Financial analyst
- Pharmacist
- Product / project manager
- Physical therapist
- Nurse practitioner
- Physician
- Construction manager
- Data scientist
- Firefighter
- Mechanical engineer
Questions
What does a civil engineer make in Ames?
$100,200 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 290 civil engineer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a civil engineer in Ames?
$3,826 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax Rent is $760, and pay covers 11.0× a year of it.
Where nearby would a civil engineer keep more?
Mankato, about 148 miles away, leaves $4,890 a month, more than Ames.