Machinists in the Ames area earn a median of $60,200 a year, 6% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #98 of 361 metros for machinist pay nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Mankato, but less in Des Moines.
It's one of 7 Iowa metros with published pay for this trade; see machinists across Iowa.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for machinists here is above average compared with other U.S. metros, and in the top 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is lower than in most metros (2.9%) and the population is growing at a typical pace (+2.2% since 2020).
Ames scorecard for machinists Our calculation
Grades compare Ames with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($57,050).
Pay over time
The median pay for machinists in the Ames area went from $45,590 in 2020 to $60,200 in 2025, up 32.0%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's +5.3% — a real raise.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
Check your pay here
Enter a rate to see where it falls among machinists in Ames.
Comparing two real offers with overtime and commutes? Use the job offer checker.
What the pay is really worth in Ames Our calculation
Prices in the Ames area run 11% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $67,770 would in a typical place, ranking #37 of 359 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
Want the full picture? Build a monthly budget for Ames from this pay, local rent and prices.
What machinists do
Set up and operate a variety of machine tools to produce precision parts and instruments out of metal. Includes precision instrument makers who fabricate, modify, or repair mechanical instruments. May also fabricate and modify parts to make or repair machine tools or maintain industrial machines, applying knowledge of mechanics, mathematics, metal properties, layout, and machining procedures.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Calculate dimensions or tolerances, using instruments, such as micrometers or vernier calipers.
- Machine parts to specifications, using machine tools, such as lathes, milling machines, shapers, or grinders.
- Measure, examine, or test completed units to check for defects and ensure conformance to specifications, using precision instruments, such as micrometers.
- Set up, adjust, or operate basic or specialized machine tools used to perform precision machining operations.
- Program computers or electronic instruments, such as numerically controlled machine tools.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, machinist jobs are projected to grow 1.0% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 26,100 openings a year. About 0% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often machinists deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes medium preparation (vocational training or an apprenticeship, often 1–2+ years).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in Iowa Official source
The main state licensing office in Iowa is the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing. It can point you to the right license for machinists.
Official Iowa licensing site ↗
Requirements for machinists vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, machinists have 108 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 1.3× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying IA metros for machinists
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| DavenportIOWA · IA | $61,710 | $69,276 | 600 |
| AmesIOWA · IA | $60,200 | $67,770 | 60 |
| Des MoinesIOWA · IA | $59,290 | $64,656 | 210 |
| DubuqueIOWA · IA | $58,890 | $67,435 | 180 |
| WaterlooIOWA · IA | $58,100 | $66,738 | 180 |
| Sioux CityIOWA · IA | $56,350 | $65,179 | 80 |
| Cedar RapidsIOWA · IA | $56,000 | $62,948 | 180 |
See every metro in Iowa.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Ames area's unemployment rate was 2.9% in 2025 (all workers, not just machinists), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 3.1% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Ames area is 19 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 8% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 69% drive alone, 5% take transit and 9% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Ames area's population grew 2.2% from 2020 to 2025 (125,363 → 128,090), ranking #209 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +2,176) account for most of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
New construction
New-home permits in Ames are roughly flat from 2021 to 2025 (394 → 392).
In 2025 the Ames area approved permits for 392 new homes (199 single-family), or 3.1 per 1,000 residents, ranking #215 of 393 metros.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $60,200 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get machinist pricing & estimate templates →Compare Ames with another city →
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ToolBest cities for machinistsRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in AmesSee where it falls among local machinists, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolAmes budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Ames metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank Ames against every other metro for machinists. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.
Report a data issue on this page
The Census doesn't publish one-person business or competition figures for machinists as a separate industry, so that section is left out.