Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
Across all occupations in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metropolitan area, the median wage is $47,430 a year ($22.80 an hour) and the mean $56,540, May 2025. That median is −7% against the US median of $50,980 and −2% against Iowa's $48,540. BLS counts 84,260 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is physicians, all other; the largest is laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand.
All occupations: Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA vs Iowa and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | Hourly | $13.67 | $17.32 | $22.80 | $30.61 | $44.52 | $27.18 | 84,260 |
| Annual | $28,430 | $36,020 | $47,430 | $63,660 | $92,590 | $56,540 | ||
| Iowa | Hourly | $13.91 | $17.58 | $23.34 | $33.79 | $47.90 | $28.76 | 1,559,240 |
| Annual | $28,930 | $36,570 | $48,540 | $70,290 | $99,630 | $59,830 | ||
| United States | Hourly | $15.00 | $18.07 | $24.51 | $38.71 | $61.81 | $33.54 | 155,495,730 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $37,590 | $50,980 | $80,520 | $128,560 | $69,770 | ||
308 detailed occupations publish a median in this area. State profile: Iowa. Compare any occupation across every area in the wage explorer.
20 highest-paying occupations in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physicians, All Other | $295,200 | $141.92 | 90 |
| 2 | Family Medicine Physicians | $287,990 | $138.46 | 130 |
| 3 | Chief Executives | $199,010 | $95.68 | 110 |
| 4 | Dentists, General | $163,600 | $78.66 | 60 |
| 5 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $140,340 | $67.47 | 60 |
| 6 | Pharmacists | $138,690 | $66.68 | 160 |
| 7 | Physician Assistants | $132,880 | $63.89 | 60 |
| 8 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Iowa | $132,210 | $63.56 | 120 |
| 9 | Veterinarians | $130,740 | $62.86 | 60 |
| 10 | Lawyers in Iowa | $126,570 | $60.85 | 160 |
| 11 | Nurse Practitioners | $126,330 | $60.73 | 260 |
| 12 | Human Resources Managers | $125,970 | $60.56 | 80 |
| 13 | Financial Managers in Iowa | $125,690 | $60.43 | 370 |
| 14 | Sales Managers in Iowa | $125,050 | $60.12 | 150 |
| 15 | Marketing Managers | $114,940 | $55.26 | 80 |
| 16 | Software Developers in Iowa | $113,970 | $54.80 | 280 |
| 17 | Computer Occupations, All Other | $107,660 | $51.76 | 140 |
| 18 | First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $106,660 | $51.28 | 90 |
| 19 | Information Security Analysts | $106,350 | $51.13 | 30 |
| 20 | Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | $104,530 | $50.26 | 70 |
Ranked by median; an occupation whose median BLS withholds or top-codes in this area cannot appear here, however well it pays.
20 largest occupations in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
Most concentrated occupations in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
The 10 occupations with the highest location quotient among those employing at least 100 people in the area. A quotient of 2.00 means the occupation's share of local jobs is twice its national share.
| Rank | Occupation | Location quotient | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders | 12.23 | 100 | 1.16 | $56,100 |
| 2 | Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators | 7.79 | 720 | 8.49 | $51,600 |
| 3 | Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters | 6.54 | 270 | 3.25 | $46,620 |
| 4 | Helpers--Production Workers | 4.70 | 420 | 5.01 | $48,520 |
| 5 | Education Teachers, Postsecondary | 3.83 | 130 | 1.50 | * |
| 6 | Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 3.30 | 220 | 2.64 | $50,400 |
| 7 | Animal Caretakers | 3.22 | 470 | 5.52 | $29,870 |
| 8 | Tool and Die Makers | 3.13 | 100 | 1.15 | $65,590 |
| 9 | Postsecondary Teachers, All Other | 3.09 | 250 | 2.98 | $103,680 |
| 9 | Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment | 3.09 | 110 | 1.29 | $75,610 |
Occupation groups in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $96,650 | $108,560 | 4,670 | 55.39 | 0.77 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $81,400 | $87,560 | 850 | 10.06 | 0.60 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $80,900 | $89,820 | 1,420 | 16.89 | 0.50 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $76,200 | $98,300 | 5,200 | 61.72 | 0.98 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $69,450 | $78,040 | 390 | 4.58 | 0.48 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $68,390 | $77,270 | 3,730 | 44.25 | 0.65 |
| Legal | $65,310 | $101,900 | 370 | 4.38 | 0.52 |
| Construction and Extraction | $60,470 | $64,460 | 3,200 | 37.93 | 0.92 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $59,840 | $61,000 | 3,730 | 44.29 | 1.13 |
| Protective Service | $57,080 | $59,740 | 1,280 | 15.14 | 0.62 |
| Community and Social Service | $56,670 | $59,130 | 1,070 | 12.71 | 0.74 |
| Production | $50,030 | $50,940 | 9,740 | 115.57 | 2.10 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $49,300 | $59,130 | 1,010 | 11.97 | 0.91 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $48,890 | $46,210 | 210 | 2.45 | 0.88 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $48,560 | $54,900 | 6,220 | 73.81 | 1.26 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $45,370 | $47,120 | 8,480 | 100.59 | 0.88 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $44,790 | $46,690 | 8,740 | 103.79 | 1.18 |
| Healthcare Support | $38,680 | $40,660 | 3,770 | 44.70 | 0.88 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $35,690 | $37,370 | 2,620 | 31.09 | 1.06 |
| Sales and Related | $35,240 | $44,550 | 7,680 | 91.11 | 1.06 |
| Personal Care and Service | $29,870 | $33,850 | 2,160 | 25.66 | 1.23 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $28,700 | $30,290 | 7,750 | 91.94 | 1.05 |
Every occupation in Iowa, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 308 published occupations for this area are in the wage explorer; other metros are on the metros hub.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA estimates (area 47940).
*- Wage estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Jobs per 1,000 is the occupation's employment per 1,000 jobs in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA area; the location quotient is that share divided by the national share.
- The concentration table keeps only occupations with employment of 100 or more in the area, so a quotient built on a handful of rounded jobs cannot top it.