SOC 15-2051 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Data Scientists — Ames
Ames, IA · 7 metro areas compared
Median pay in Ames, IA is $79,430 a year, 33.9% under the national median of $120,230 for this occupation.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow much faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +33.5%
- Openings per year
- 23,400
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Ames, IA.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
Median pay in Ames, IA is $79,430 a year, 33.9% under the national median of $120,230 for this occupation. Half of workers earn between $64,520 and $111,540. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $61,280 and the ninetieth at $135,260.
The area has 100 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 1.08 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Davenport leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $106,340. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 60th of 246 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $61,280 | −49.0% |
| 25th | $64,520 | −46.3% |
| Median (50th) | $79,430 | −33.9% |
| 75th | $111,540 | −7.2% |
| 90th | $135,260 | +12.5% |
| Mean | $88,980 | −26.0% |
Other metro areas in Iowa
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Davenport | $106,340 | 280 | |
| 2 | Des Moines | $103,030 | 1,240 | |
| 3 | Cedar Rapids | $99,410 | 180 | |
| 4 | Sioux City | $90,030 | 40 | |
| 5 | Waterloo | $82,050 | 70 | |
| 6 | Dubuque | $74,790 | 90 | |
| 7 | Iowa City | $72,120 | 170 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Ames run 11.2% below the national average, so the median of $79,430 goes as far as $89,448 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 25.6% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$79,430as reported by BLSLocal price level
88.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$89,448US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $79,430 a year, 33.9% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $61,280 to $135,260 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 100 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Davenport, at $106,340.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Data Scientists in Ames, IA?
The median annual wage is $79,430, or $38.19 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $120,230, so pay in Ames, IA is 33.9% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Ames, IA earns more than $135,260 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $61,280 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Davenport, at $106,340 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 100 jobs in this occupation in Ames, IA. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
Explore related data