High paying medical jobs in Ames, IA

Every medical occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Ames, IA. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single medical job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Cost of living: prices in Ames, IA run 11.2% below the national average (2024), so a Ames, IA salary is worth about 1.13× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find medical jobs in Ames, IA

OccupationMedian, Ames, IA · Employed

1Family Medicine Physicians$248,000
Doctoral or professional degree
$155,410 – $590,31060
2Dentists, General$163,950
Doctoral or professional degree
$97,050 – $275,26040
3Pharmacists$139,690
Doctoral or professional degree
$114,540 – $173,07070
4Nurse Practitioners$127,600
Master's degree
$79,660 – $172,14070
5Veterinarians$118,240
Doctoral or professional degree
$83,020 – $200,18080
6Physical Therapists$90,610
Doctoral or professional degree
$67,530 – $119,89070
7Dental Hygienists$89,130
Associate's degree
$78,610 – $95,16080
8Speech-Language Pathologists$83,170
Master's degree
$62,740 – $108,36060
9Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$82,110
Associate's degree
$69,580 – $102,38030
10Registered Nurses$77,160
Bachelor's degree
$64,360 – $99,4401,070
11Occupational Therapists$73,810
Master's degree
$62,660 – $99,84040
12Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$66,760
Associate's degree
$50,260 – $82,53090
13Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$65,610
Postsecondary nondegree award
$51,420 – $78,050190
14Paramedics$62,920
Postsecondary nondegree award
$48,650 – $80,12040
15Chiropractors$56,890
Doctoral or professional degree
$36,340 – $116,32030
16Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$56,380
Bachelor's degree
$39,070 – $75,130110
17Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$50,730
Associate's degree
$39,860 – $78,600270
18Medical Records Specialists$49,850
Postsecondary nondegree award
$34,750 – $73,12070
19Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$48,060
Postsecondary nondegree award
$38,300 – $68,09050
20Emergency Medical Technicians$46,000
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,350 – $59,77030
21Opticians, Dispensing$40,860
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,650 – $50,67040
22Pharmacy Technicians$39,310
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,510 – $49,980140

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianAmes, IA	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Family Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$248,000	$155,410 – $590,310	60
2	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$163,950	$97,050 – $275,260	40
3	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$139,690	$114,540 – $173,070	70
4	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$127,600	$79,660 – $172,140	70
5	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$118,240	$83,020 – $200,180	80
6	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$90,610	$67,530 – $119,890	70
7	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$89,130	$78,610 – $95,160	80
8	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$83,170	$62,740 – $108,360	60
9	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$82,110	$69,580 – $102,380	30
10	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$77,160	$64,360 – $99,440	1,070
11	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$73,810	$62,660 – $99,840	40
12	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$66,760	$50,260 – $82,530	90
13	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$65,610	$51,420 – $78,050	190
14	ParamedicsPostsecondary nondegree award	$62,920	$48,650 – $80,120	40
15	ChiropractorsDoctoral or professional degree	$56,890	$36,340 – $116,320	30
16	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and TechniciansBachelor's degree	$56,380	$39,070 – $75,130	110
17	Veterinary Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$50,730	$39,860 – $78,600	270
18	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$49,850	$34,750 – $73,120	70
19	Health Technologists and Technicians, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$48,060	$38,300 – $68,090	50
20	Emergency Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$46,000	$36,350 – $59,770	30
21	Opticians, DispensingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40,860	$36,650 – $50,670	40
22	Pharmacy TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,310	$33,510 – $49,980	140

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Ames, IA. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

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The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Ames, IA to rank honestly.

High paying medical jobs in Ames, IA

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