Police officer · Ames, IA
Police officer in Ames: $2,364/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median police officer wage in Ames at $73,840 a year. About 150 police officer jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.64). The 10th percentile is $53,880 and the 90th is $87,010. Pay ranks 185th-highest of 380 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 8.1× 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 $2,364 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Lincoln, about 185 miles away, at $3,099 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Left over each month
$2,364
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$73,840
$53,880 to $87,010
Rent (1 bd)
$760
$905 (2 bd)
Employment
150
Location quotient 0.64
Pay rank
185th of 380
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
8.1×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, police officer pay of $73,840.
- Taxes$1,313
- Rent$760
- Other living costs$1,716
- Left over$2,364
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $73,840
- Federal income tax
- −$7,859
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$5,649
- State income tax (IA)
- −$2,251
- Take-home pay
- $58,081
- Effective tax rate
- 21.3%
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
$6,153 gross, minus $1,313 in tax and $2,476 in living costs.
$2,364
Rank every metro for a police officer
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Lincoln, $3,099/mo.
Police officer leftover by city →Best cities for police officers to move to →Police officer nearby
Other jobs in Ames
- Registered nurse
- Software developer
- Elementary school teacher
- High school teacher
- Accountant / auditor
- Truck driver (heavy)
- Electrician
- Civil engineer
- Lawyer
- Financial analyst
- Pharmacist
- Product / project manager
- Physical therapist
- Nurse practitioner
- Physician
- Construction manager
- Data scientist
- Firefighter
- Mechanical engineer
Questions
What does a police officer make in Ames?
$73,840 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 150 police officer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a police officer in Ames?
$2,364 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax Rent is $760, and pay covers 8.1× a year of it.
Where nearby would a police officer keep more?
Lincoln, about 185 miles away, leaves $3,099 a month, more than Ames.