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

How much does a human resources specialist make in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

In the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metropolitan area, human resources specialists earned a median of $61,900 a year ($29.76 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 360 of these jobs there. That is 31% above the $47,430 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $39,770 and $99,810; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $50,216 in take-home pay.

Human resources specialist pay in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA at a glance

Median salary

$61,900$29.76 per hour · $5,158 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$39,770$19.12/hr
25th percentile$51,100$24.57/hr
75th percentile$80,070$38.50/hr
90th percentile$99,810$47.99/hr
Jobs in this metro360Location quotient 0.73 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here31% aboveAll-jobs median $47,430
Against Iowa7% belowStatewide median $66,710
Against the U.S.18% belowNational median $75,940

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.

Human resources specialist salary in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA after taxes

$61,900
$20,000$125,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$61,900
Net 81%
Fed 8%
IA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$50,216After all taxes
Monthly deposit$4,185Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,931Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$5,248 / yr
Iowa state income tax$1,700 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$4,735 / yr

Human resources specialists 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 human resources specialists earned in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile$19.12/hr$3,314$39,770$33,276
25th percentile$24.57/hr$4,258$51,100$41,949
MedianMedian$29.76/hr$5,158$61,900$50,216
75th percentile$38.50/hr$6,673$80,070$62,768
90th percentile$47.99/hr$8,318$99,810$75,905

Is $61,900 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 human resources specialists 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 household87.4%of area median income

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

Human resources specialist pay in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA: common questions

What is the median salary for human resources specialists in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

The BLS median annual wage for human resources specialists in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area was $61,900 in May 2025, about $5,158 a month or $29.76 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $66,710, so the metro pays 7% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for human resources specialists in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

The median hourly wage for human resources specialists in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA was $29.76 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $19.12 an hour and one in ten earned more than $47.99.

How many human resources specialists work in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

BLS estimated 360 jobs for human resources specialists in the metro in May 2025, or 4.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.73 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for human resources specialists in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

BLS wage estimates for human resources specialists in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA run from $39,770 at the 10th percentile to $51,100 at the 25th, $80,070 at the 75th, and $99,810 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do human resources specialists take home after taxes in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

On a median gross salary of $61,900, an estimated $50,216 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,931 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $11,684 (an effective rate of 18.9%).

How much do human resources specialists make per month in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

On the median annual salary of $61,900, gross monthly income is $5,158. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $4,185 per month (or $1,931 every two weeks).

Is $61,900 a good salary in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

At $61,900, the median salary for human resources specialists is 87.4% of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA median household income ($70,811). It is 31% 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.