SalaryExplorer

SOC 39-1014 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services — Ames

Ames, IA · 7 metro areas compared

$43,830 /year
$21.07per hour
50jobs in area
−9.7%vs US median

The median wage for First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services in Ames, IA is $43,830 per year, 9.7% below the national median of $48,560.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $48,56010TH$30,810MEDIAN$43,83075TH$52,51090TH$68,470

How pay has moved

$45,520$35,380202120242025$43,830
$37,070 in 2021 to $43,830 in 2025, +18.2% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow faster than average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+6.3%
Openings per year
13,400
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
Related work experience
Less than 5 years

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

21.5% of people in this occupation work for themselves.

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

The median wage for First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services in Ames, IA is $43,830 per year, 9.7% below the national median of $48,560. Pay ranges from under $30,810 at the tenth percentile to more than $68,470 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $34,900 to $52,510.

Employment stands at 50, or 0.9 jobs per thousand held locally. Iowa City leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $47,410. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 187th of 246 by median pay.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Ames, IA · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$30,810−36.6%
25th$34,900−28.1%
Median (50th)$43,830−9.7%
75th$52,510+8.1%
90th$68,470+41.0%
Mean$46,450−4.3%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Iowa

Median annual wage for First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Iowa City$47,410100
2Sioux City$44,31040
3Dubuque$44,21040
4Des Moines$42,040390
5Cedar Rapids$39,680130
6Davenport$39,130110
7Waterloo$37,89090

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Ames run 11.2% below the national average, so the median of $43,830 goes as far as $49,358 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 1.6% above the national median in real terms.

Published median

$43,830as reported by BLS

Local price level

88.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$49,358US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $43,830 a year, 9.7% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $30,810 to $68,470 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 50 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Iowa City, at $47,410.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services in Ames, IA?

The median annual wage is $43,830, or $21.07 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 $48,560, so pay in Ames, IA is 9.7% 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 $68,470 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $30,810 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 Iowa City, at $47,410 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 50 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.

First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services Salary in Ames, IA (2025): $43,830 Median | Salary Explorer