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

How much does a lawyer make in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

In the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metropolitan area, lawyers earned a median of $126,570 a year ($60.85 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 160 of these jobs there. That is 167% above the $47,430 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $63,800 and $360,480; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $93,619 in take-home pay.

Lawyer pay in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA at a glance

Median salary

$126,570$60.85 per hour · $10,548 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$63,800$30.67/hr
25th percentile$80,260$38.59/hr
75th percentile$204,230$98.19/hr
90th percentile$360,480$173.31/hr
Jobs in this metro160Location quotient 0.40 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here167% aboveAll-jobs median $47,430
Against Iowa2% aboveStatewide median $123,550
Against the U.S.21% belowNational median $159,670

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.

Lawyer salary in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA after taxes

$126,570
$50,000$255,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$126,570
Net 74%
Fed 15%
IA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$93,619After all taxes
Monthly deposit$7,802Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$3,601Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate26%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$19,111 / yr
Iowa state income tax$4,158 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$9,683 / yr

Lawyers 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 lawyers earned in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile$30.67/hr$5,317$63,800$51,671
25th percentile$38.59/hr$6,688$80,260$62,895
MedianMedian$60.85/hr$10,548$126,570$93,619
75th percentile$98.19/hr$17,019$204,230$144,933
90th percentile$173.31/hr$30,040$360,480$240,021

Is $126,570 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 lawyers 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 household178.7%of area median income

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

Lawyer pay in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA: common questions

What is the median salary for lawyers in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

The BLS median annual wage for lawyers in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area was $126,570 in May 2025, about $10,548 a month or $60.85 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $123,550, so the metro pays 2% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for lawyers in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

The median hourly wage for lawyers in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA was $60.85 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $30.67 an hour and one in ten earned more than $173.31.

How many lawyers work in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

BLS estimated 160 jobs for lawyers in the metro in May 2025, or 1.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.40 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for lawyers in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

BLS wage estimates for lawyers in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA run from $63,800 at the 10th percentile to $80,260 at the 25th, $204,230 at the 75th, and $360,480 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do lawyers take home after taxes in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

On a median gross salary of $126,570, an estimated $93,619 lands in net take-home pay per year ($3,601 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $32,951 (an effective rate of 26%).

How much do lawyers make per month in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

On the median annual salary of $126,570, gross monthly income is $10,548. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $7,802 per month (or $3,601 every two weeks).

Is $126,570 a good salary in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

At $126,570, the median salary for lawyers is 178.7% of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA median household income ($70,811). It is 167% 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.