Tailors Salaries in Ames, IA
Average Base Pay
$38,281/yr
8% below national average
Monthly
$3,190
Hourly
$18
Cost Index
89
Tailors in Ames, IA earn an average of $38,281 per year, with most salaries falling between $30,625 and $45,937 depending on experience, employer, and specialization. At 8% below the national average, Ames offers a more modest rate for this role, in part reflecting a local cost of living index of 89. For professionals evaluating a move or negotiating an offer, the headline salary is only part of the picture—what matters most is how far that income actually goes once taxes, rent, and daily expenses are factored in. The sections below break that down in full for Ames.
Salary Range
The chart below shows the full compensation spectrum for this role, from entry-level to senior positions. The highlighted center bars represent the 25th–75th percentile band where most professionals are paid.
Low
Median
High
About Tailors
Manufacturing Engineers develop, implement, and improve manufacturing processes that transform raw materials and components into finished products efficiently, safely, and to quality standards. They design and commission production lines, select manufacturing equipment, develop process parameters and work instructions, and troubleshoot production problems. In new product introduction, manufacturing engineers collaborate with product design teams from early development to ensure that product designs are manufacturable—flagging design features that are difficult or costly to produce and proposing design changes that improve producibility. They conduct process validation studies demonstrating that processes consistently produce output within specifications, write manufacturing process documentation, and develop operator training materials. Process improvement is continuous: manufacturing engineers collect and analyze production data, identify sources of scrap, yield loss, and cycle time inefficiency, and implement lean manufacturing improvements including 5S, standardized work, and error-proofing (poka-yoke). In regulated industries such as medical devices or pharmaceuticals, they manage process validation per FDA and ISO requirements.
What Tailors Do
- Design and implement manufacturing processes for new or existing products
- Select, specify, and commission manufacturing equipment and tooling
- Develop process parameters, work instructions, and operator training materials
- Conduct process capability studies and manufacturing process validation
- Troubleshoot production quality and efficiency problems
- Collaborate with product design on design for manufacturability
- Lead lean manufacturing improvement projects (5S, kaizen, standard work)
- Manage process documentation and engineering change control
Key Skills & Qualifications
- Manufacturing process design and optimization
- CAD software for fixture and tooling design
- Statistical process control (SPC) and process capability analysis
- Lean manufacturing tools (5S, Kanban, SMED, poka-yoke)
- Design for manufacturability and assembly (DFM/DFA)
- Process validation methodology (IQ/OQ/PQ)
- PLC and automation fundamentals
- Engineering change management and document control
Career Path
- Manufacturing Engineer I
- Manufacturing Engineer II
- Senior Manufacturing Engineer
- Lead Manufacturing Engineer / Process Engineering Manager
- Director of Manufacturing Engineering
Tailors Market in Ames, IA
Salary Competitiveness
Ames currently pays 8% below the national median for Tailors. This gap can reflect a lower regional cost base, thinner employer density, or a surplus of qualified candidates relative to open roles—factors worth factoring into any offer negotiation or relocation calculation.
Cost of Living Impact
Ames's cost of living runs below the national average, which works in favor of this salary. Essential monthly expenses account for approximately 99% of take-home pay—a ratio that leaves meaningful room for savings, debt reduction, and discretionary spending compared with higher-cost metros.
Effective Purchasing Power
Despite a competitive gross salary, a Tailors earning $38,281 in Ames operates in a tight purchasing-power band once taxes and local cost of living are applied. Careful planning around housing, transportation, and discretionary spending is essential to avoid running negative disposable income month to month.
vs. National Avg
-8%
Cost Pressure
99%
Purchasing Power
Tight
Take-Home Pay Calculator
Enter any gross salary to see how federal and state taxes affect your actual take-home pay, broken down by year, month, and week. Results use an estimated effective tax rate of 27% based on this location and income level.
Annual Net
$27,945
Monthly
$2,329
Weekly
$537
Eff. Tax Rate
27%
A gross salary of $38,281 for a Tailors in Ames translates to roughly $2,329 in monthly take-home pay after estimated federal and state taxes. Set against monthly living costs of $2,306—covering housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare—that leaves approximately $23 per month in disposable income. That margin, not the gross number, is what determines whether you can comfortably cover rent, build savings, and afford discretionary spending in Ames's current market.
How far does this salary go in Ames?
Cost of Living in Ames
Estimated monthly expenses for a single person in Ames, benchmarked against US regional price indices for housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare.
Cost Index
89
Below Avg — US average is 100. Based on a single person (1-bed apartment).
Financial Reality Check
This section compares estimated monthly take-home pay against typical living costs in Ames to show your real disposable income—the amount remaining after essential bills are paid each month.
Monthly Take-Home
$2,329
Living Costs
$2,306
Disposable
$23
Cost Index
89
Lifestyle
Tight
With a monthly take-home of $2,329, your estimated living costs in Ames are $2,306 ($27,672/yr). This leaves $23 per month in disposable income, indicating a tight standard of living. Ames's cost of living is 11% below the national average.
Overall, a Tailors earning $38,281 in Ames falls into a tight lifestyle tier and will need to budget carefully—essential costs consume a significant share of take-home pay, leaving limited room for savings or emergencies. With a cost index of 89, Ames is 11% more affordable than the national average, which extends your purchasing power. Regardless of tier, prioritizing retirement contributions, an emergency fund of three to six months' expenses, and incremental debt reduction will yield the greatest long-term financial stability—especially as living costs in Ames continue to evolve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Compare Instantly
See how Tailors salary in Ames stacks up against other cities.
- vs. New York, NY
$60,320/yr+$22,039
vs Ames - vs. Kailua, HI
$52,860/yr+$14,579
vs Ames - vs. Pearl City, HI
$52,860/yr+$14,579
vs Ames - vs. Hilo, HI
$52,860/yr+$14,579
vs Ames
Full breakdown: cost of living, net pay, lifestyle score
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City Rankings for Tailors
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Gross Salary
$38,281/yr
Take-home
$2,329/mo
Disposable
$23/mo
Lifestyle
Tight
Source: thesalaryindex.com · BLS data
Explore More Salary Data
Related pages — all links are live salary pages
Tailors in Other Cities
- New York, NY$60,320
- Long Beach, CA$47,910
- San Francisco, CA$47,760
- Orlando, FL$43,396
- Hesperia, CA$47,910
- Atlantic City, NJ$45,698
- Little Rock, AR$36,235
- Roswell, GA$42,117
- Lakewood Ranch, FL$40,860
- Valdosta, GA$36,490
- Folsom, CA$47,910
- Kent, WA$51,010
- Garden Grove, CA$47,910
- Bakersfield, CA$39,048
- Lafayette, LA$36,235
- Victorville, CA$47,910
- Paterson, NJ$45,698
- Lancaster, PA$40,583
- Wichita, KS$35,212
- Bend, OR$44,675
Other Jobs in Ames
- Agents And Business Managers Of Artists$72,771
- Probation Officers And Correctional Treatment Specialists$62,931
- Models$51,644
- Construction Laborers$46,168
- Surveyors$69,167
- Emergency Medical Technicians$38,567
- Hosts And Hostesses$27,551
- Fiberglass Laminators And Fabricators$44,034
- Furniture Finishers$40,680
- Landscaping And Groundskeeping Workers$35,849
- Physical Therapist Aides$30,398
- Flight Attendants$58,899
- Medical Scientists$85,473
- Compensation$69,196
- Doortodoor Sales Workers$39,142
- Airfield Operations Specialists$53,383
- Agricultural Equipment Operators$40,186
- Rotary Drill Operators$67,573
- Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators And Tenders$40,954
- Credit Authorizers$47,018
Top Salary Comparisons
vs. Ames
- Everett, WA+$12,729
- Portland, OR+$11,409
- Pearl City, HI+$14,579
- Berkeley, CA+$9,629
- Naples, FL+$9,975
- Seattle, WA+$12,729
- San Diego, CA+$12,789
- Sunnyvale, CA+$9,629
- Renton, WA+$12,729
- Washington, DC+$12,533
Highest-Paying Markets
Cities where Tailors pays most
- New York, NY$60,320
- Kailua, HI$52,860
- Pearl City, HI$52,860
- Hilo, HI$52,860
- Oklahoma City, OK$52,530
- Austin, TX$51,120
- San Diego, CA$51,070
- Bellevue, WA$51,010
Most Affordable Markets
Cities with lowest cost of living
- Toledo, OH$34,444
- Brownsville, TX$34,444
- Mcallen, TX$39,048
- Topeka, KS$34,444
- Gulfport, MS$35,979
- Wichita Falls, TX$34,700
- Canton, OH$34,700
- Laredo, TX$34,956
Salary estimates are based on BLS metro data and adjusted using cost-of-living indices.