Software developer · Ames, IA
Software developer in Ames: $5,429/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median software developer wage in Ames at $129,440 a year. About 470 software developer jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.77). The 10th percentile is $74,990 and the 90th is $165,040. Pay ranks 89th-highest of 375 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 14.2× 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 $5,429 a month after tax and rent. Within 250 miles, Jefferson City is the strongest other metro for this job ($5,120 left over a month), and Ames still leaves more.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Left over each month
$5,429
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$129,440
$74,990 to $165,040
Rent (1 bd)
$760
$905 (2 bd)
Employment
470
Location quotient 0.77
Pay rank
89th of 375
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
14.2×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, software developer pay of $129,440.
- Taxes$2,882
- Rent$760
- Other living costs$1,716
- Left over$5,429
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $129,440
- Federal income tax
- −$20,313
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$9,902
- State income tax (IA)
- −$4,364
- Take-home pay
- $94,861
- Effective tax rate
- 26.7%
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
$10,787 gross, minus $2,882 in tax and $2,476 in living costs.
$5,429
Rank every metro for a software developer
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Jefferson City, $5,120/mo.
Software developer leftover by city →Best cities for software developers to move to →Software developer nearby
Other jobs in Ames
- Registered nurse
- Elementary school teacher
- High school teacher
- Accountant / auditor
- Truck driver (heavy)
- Electrician
- Civil engineer
- 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 software developer make in Ames?
$129,440 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 470 software developer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a software developer in Ames?
$5,429 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax Rent is $760, and pay covers 14.2× a year of it.
Where nearby would a software developer keep more?
Ames leaves more than the other metros within 250 miles. The next one is Jefferson City at $5,120 a month.