Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a high school teacher make in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

In the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metropolitan area, high school teachers earned a median of $60,440 a year in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 660 of these jobs there. That is 27% above the $47,430 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $47,520 and $77,800; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $49,099 in take-home pay.

High school teacher pay in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA at a glance

Median salary

$60,440$5,037 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$47,520—
25th percentile$49,270—
75th percentile$73,310—
90th percentile$77,800—
Jobs in this metro660Location quotient 1.15 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here27% aboveAll-jobs median $47,430
Against Iowa1% belowStatewide median $61,200
Against the U.S.16% belowNational median $72,040

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

High school teacher salary in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA after taxes

$60,440
$20,000$125,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$60,440
Net 81%
Fed 8%
IA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$49,099After all taxes
Monthly deposit$4,092Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,888Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$5,073 / yr
Iowa state income tax$1,645 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$4,624 / yr

High school teachers pay range in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What high school teachers earned in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile—$3,960$47,520$39,208
25th percentile—$4,106$49,270$40,548
MedianMedian—$5,037$60,440$49,099
75th percentile—$6,109$73,310$58,270
90th percentile—$6,483$77,800$61,258

Is $60,440 a good salary in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for high school teachers next to both.

Median household income$70,811Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)87.112.9% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household85.4%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

High school teacher pay in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA: common questions

What is the median salary for high school teachers in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

The BLS median annual wage for high school teachers in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area was $60,440 in May 2025, about $5,037 a month. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $61,200, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

Is there an hourly rate for high school teachers in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

BLS publishes pay for this job as an annual salary only, because the hours worked in a year vary too much to state a meaningful hourly rate.

How many high school teachers work in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

BLS estimated 660 jobs for high school teachers in the metro in May 2025, or 7.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.15 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for high school teachers in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

BLS wage estimates for high school teachers in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA run from $47,520 at the 10th percentile to $49,270 at the 25th, $73,310 at the 75th, and $77,800 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do high school teachers take home after taxes in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

On a median gross salary of $60,440, an estimated $49,099 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,888 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $11,341 (an effective rate of 18.8%).

How much do high school teachers make per month in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

On the median annual salary of $60,440, gross monthly income is $5,037. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $4,092 per month (or $1,888 every two weeks).

Is $60,440 a good salary in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

At $60,440, the median salary for high school teachers is 85.4% of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA median household income ($70,811). It is 27% above the $47,430 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 87.1, so prices here run 12.9% below the U.S. average.