Painters in the Ames area earn a median of $44,780 a year, 6% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #273 of 359 U.S. metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Des Moines and Waterloo.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for painters here is below average compared with other U.S. metros, and about average 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). On your own, you'd join about 172 one-person building finishing work businesses averaging $41,256 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $61/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
Ames scorecard for painters 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 ($47,640).
Pay over time
The median pay for painters in the Ames area went from $37,100 in 2021 to $44,780 in 2025, up 20.7%. Prices rose 19% over the same period, so after inflation that's +1.1% — a real raise.
BLS OEWS, May 2021–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
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 $50,411 would in a typical place, ranking #194 of 355 on real pay.
Two different views, don't combine them. 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.
What painters do
Paint walls, equipment, buildings, bridges, and other structural surfaces, using brushes, rollers, and spray guns. May remove old paint to prepare surface prior to painting. May mix colors or oils to obtain desired color or consistency.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Cover surfaces with dropcloths or masking tape and paper to protect surfaces during painting.
- Read work orders or receive instructions from supervisors or homeowners to determine work requirements.
- Apply paint, stain, varnish, enamel, or other finishes to equipment, buildings, bridges, or other structures, using brushes, spray guns, or rollers.
- Fill cracks, holes, or joints with caulk, putty, plaster, or other fillers, using caulking guns or putty knives.
- Smooth surfaces, using sandpaper, scrapers, brushes, steel wool, or sanding machines.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, painter jobs are projected to grow 3.0% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 24,900 openings a year. About 31% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often painters deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
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 painters.
Official Iowa licensing site ↗
Requirements for painters vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, painters have 124 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 1.4× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is overexertion and repetitive strain.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying IA metros for painters
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| DavenportIOWA · IA | $57,870 | $64,965 | 210 |
| Des MoinesIOWA · IA | $57,410 | $62,606 | 620 |
| WaterlooIOWA · IA | $55,000 | $63,177 | 110 |
| DubuqueIOWA · IA | $47,400 | $54,278 | 40 |
| Sioux CityIOWA · IA | $46,760 | $54,087 | 90 |
| Cedar RapidsIOWA · IA | $46,190 | $51,920 | 290 |
| Iowa CityIOWA · IA | $44,960 | $49,132 | 90 |
| AmesIOWA · IA | $44,780 | $50,411 | 70 |
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 painters), 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.
Homes in Ames
The Ames area has about 54,437 homes. 51% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 14% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 58% of households own their home, and the median home value is $279,700.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
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.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 172 one-person businesses (no employees) in building finishing work, averaging $41,256 a year in revenue before expenses.
They compete with 30 building finishing work companies that have employees (about 305 workers in total). 73% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $44,780 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
How this calculator works. 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 painter pricing & estimate templates →Compare Ames with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Pay over time: BLS OEWS May 2020–2025, local; inflation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Housing: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local (age of homes, ownership, home values).
- Population: Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.