SOC 15-1231 · Ames, IA metro

Computer Network Support Specialists Salary in Ames, IA

The average salary for computer network support specialists in Ames, Iowa is $77,650 a year ($37.33 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $82,360: half of the 200 people in this job in the Ames, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 5% less than the U.S. average for this job ($81,870).

$77,650average per year

$37.33 / hourMedian $82,360Take-home ≈ $61,118

  • $53K10th
  • $65K25th
  • $82KMedian
  • $82K75th
  • $101K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

200people in this job
-5%vs U.S. average
#1 of 8Iowa metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Computer Network Support Specialists pay range in Ames

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $52,720 a year or less, while the top 10% make $100,790 or more. The middle half of computer network support specialists in Ames earn between $64,760 and $82,360.

  • $53K10th
  • $65K25th
  • $82KMedian
  • $82K75th
  • $101K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$77,650$6,471$37.33
Median$82,360$6,863$39.60
Entry level (25th percentile)$64,760$5,397$31.13
Experienced (75th percentile)$82,360$6,863$39.60

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Computer Network Support Specialists pay in Ames vs. Iowa and the U.S.

Computer network support specialists in Ames earn 15% more than the Iowa average ($67,600) and 5% less than the U.S. average ($81,870). At the median the gap is +8% against the U.S. median of $76,220.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Ames$77,650$82,360$52,720$100,790200
Iowa$67,600$64,600$47,330$93,7601,920
United States$81,870$76,220$47,120$127,780146,190

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Computer Network Support Specialists salary after taxes in Ames

On the average salary of $77,650, a single filer in Ames takes home about $61,118 a year, or $5,093 a month and $2,351 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Iowa paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Ames a good place for computer network support specialists? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Ames area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.8), so the average $77,650 buys what about $87,414 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Ames ($50,220). A typical home costs $280,269, or 3.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $77,650 is worth in another city

Computer Network Support Specialists salary in other Iowa cities

Ames ranks 1st of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Computer Network Support Specialists salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for computer network support specialists

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($135,940).

Computer Network Support Specialists salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Computer Network Support Specialists in Ames, IA.

Computer Network Support Specialists salary in Ames: questions

How much do computer network support specialists make an hour in Ames?

$37.33 an hour on average, and $39.60 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level computer network support specialists salary in Ames?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $52,720 a year and the 25th percentile is $64,760, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the computer network support specialists take-home pay in Ames?

About $61,118 a year ($5,093 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $77,650. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do computer network support specialists earn more in Ames than elsewhere?

The average here is 5% less than the U.S. average for this job ($81,870).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 15-1231; area Ames, IA (11180). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.0%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 3.85, this job is 3.9 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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