Administrative Assistant salary in Ames, IA
No other area in Iowa pays administrative assistants more than Ames: the median is $48,740 a year1. That is 8.0% above the Iowa statewide median of $45,150, and 2.5% above the US median of $47,540. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#96 of 520). BLS counts about 620 people in this job here, 5% of the Iowa total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Ames, IA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Ames against Iowa and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ames, IA | $36,640 | $48,740 | $61,600 | |
| Iowa | $33,880 | $45,150 | $60,760 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
The middle half of administrative assistants in Ames earns $39,210–$55,370. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $61,600, only 1.7 times the bottom tenth, against 2.0 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($48,200) is no higher than the median, so few high earners skew the figures here. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $16,160 wide, between the figure for Iowa ($13,030) and the US figure ($19,170).
What to budget for an administrative assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,640 | $3,053 | $17.62 | $47,277 |
| 25th percentile | $39,210 | $3,268 | $18.85 | $50,594 |
| Median | $48,740 | $4,062 | $23.43 | $62,890 |
| 75th percentile | $55,370 | $4,614 | $26.62 | $71,445 |
| 90th percentile | $61,600 | $5,133 | $29.62 | $79,484 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $6,630 a year in pay and about $8,555 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $9,530 in pay. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $47,540 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in Ames, and the Iowa statewide median of $45,150 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Ames
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $14,150 to the $48,740 median and brings it to $62,890 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for administrative assistants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Ames
Of the 16 roles we track in Ames, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between paralegals ($53,180) and bookkeepers ($47,970). Project Coordinator is the highest at $97,290.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +16.8% | 30 | |
| Paralegal | +9.1% | 60 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 620 | |
| Bookkeeper | -1.6% | 470 | |
| HR Assistant | -7.3% | 40 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #2 of the 16 roles we track in Ames (+2.5%), between data entry specialists (+9.2%) and payroll specialists (-2.3%). The typical role here is at -6.4%, so, measured against the US, administrative assistants cost more in Ames than the area's general pay level would suggest. Administrative assistants hold 13.4% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Ames, 9.4% across Iowa and 10.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Iowa
Across the 12 areas of Iowa with data for this job, the median runs from $39,810 in the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area to $48,740 in Ames, a gap of $8,930 a year. All 10 areas in Iowa with more administrative assistants than Ames pay less, among them Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA ($47,500) and Davenport-Moline, IA-IL ($45,710).
| Area | Median | vs Ames | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ames, IA | this area | 620 | |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | -2.5% | 3,110 | |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | -5.1% | 720 | |
| Sioux City, IA-NE | -5.7% | 640 | |
| Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | -6.2% | 1,670 | |
| Dubuque, IA | -6.8% | 440 | |
| Iowa City, IA | -6.9% | 630 |
Ames against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Ames is #418 of 520 US areas for this job. The market is small, but its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Iowa, Phoenix-Mesa and Kenosha pay just above Ames and Lansing-East Lansing and Kingston just below. All four are within $120 a year of the median in Ames. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Ames | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merced, CA | +6.1% | 620 | jobs | |
| Kenosha, WI | +0.1% | 650 | pay | |
| Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | +0.1% | 22,010 | pay | |
| Ames, IA | this area | 620 | ||
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | -0.1% | 2,460 | pay | |
| Kingston, NY | -0.2% | 920 | pay | |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | -1.8% | 630 | jobs | |
| Chambersburg, PA | -6.9% | 620 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Ames, IA?
About $62,890 a year at the median, or $5,241 a month: $48,740 in pay plus about $14,150 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do administrative assistants earn in Ames?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $48,740 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $36,640, the 90th $61,600, and the middle half earned $39,210 to $55,370.
Is Ames the most expensive area in Iowa for administrative assistants?
Yes. Its median of $48,740 is the highest of 12 areas in Iowa. Des Moines-West Des Moines comes next at $47,500.
How many administrative assistants work in Ames?
BLS counts about 620 in the May 2025 survey. That is 5% of the Iowa total of 12,830. 10 areas in Iowa have more; the closest in size is Iowa City, with about 630.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than a bookkeeper in Ames?
Yes: $770 a year more at the median. The medians are $48,740 and $47,970.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6014: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.