Take the STEM Compass assessmentSee the STEM Farm tracks
5Counties
2Metro counties
128,090MSA population 2025
States: Iowa
Careers the Ames, IA economy leans on
Ranked by how many counties in this zone carry the economy types each family hires into, then by growth. The fit is yours; the demand is local.
Data Scientist+34%Information Security Analyst+29%Actuary+22%Operations Research Analyst+21%Computer & Information Research Scientist+20%Software Developer+15%Computer Network Architect+12%Computer Systems Analyst+9%Statistician+8%Mathematician+8%Web Developer+7%Mathematics Professor+7%Biochemist & Biophysicist+7%Chemist & Materials Scientist+6%Database Administrator+4%Database Architect+4%Physicist+4%Astronomer+4%Computer Programmer-6%Agricultural & Food Scientist+6%Geoscientist+5%Environmental Scientist+4%Zoologist & Wildlife Biologist+2%Atmospheric Scientist & Meteorologist+1%Physician Assistant+20%Epidemiologist+16%Industrial Engineer+11%Mechanical Engineer+9%Medical Scientist+9%Electrical Engineer+7%Aerospace Engineer+6%Marine Engineer & Naval Architect+6%Biomedical Engineer+6%Civil Engineer+5%Registered Nurse+5%Microbiologist+5%Environmental Engineer+4%Physician & Surgeon+4%Clinical Laboratory Technologist+4%Chemical Engineer+3%
Counties in this labor market
Metros around Ames, IA
Omaha, NE–IA10 countiesDes Moines, IA8 countiesDavenport, IA–IL7 countiesCedar Rapids, IA9 countiesWaterloo, IA8 countiesSioux City, IA–NE–SD6 countiesDubuque, IA–IL5 countiesMason City, IA9 countiesOttumwa, IA9 countiesCreston, IA7 countiesBurlington, IA–IL6 countiesStorm Lake, IA5 counties
This labor market, by search
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Questions people ask
Which STEM careers are in demand in Ames, IA?
Data Scientist, Information Security Analyst, Actuary, Operations Research Analyst and Computer & Information Research Scientist lead on local economy fit here; Data Scientist (+34%), Information Security Analyst (+29%) and Actuary (+22%) lead on national growth.
What is a commuting zone?
A Census labor market built from where people actually commute to work. It is the right geography for training and hiring: the job you train for is usually inside your zone, even when it is not inside your county.
Sources. Career traits, education paths and value lines are the STEM Compass assessment library. Employment growth is U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2024–2034. County economic types are USDA Economic Research Service County Typology Codes (2025); labor markets are Census commuting zones (2020). Salary is not shown anywhere in this campaign on purpose: the assessment measures fit and what the work is worth to the world.