Iowa City, IA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a receptionist make in Iowa City, IA?

In the Iowa City, IA metropolitan area, receptionists earned a median of $38,740 a year ($18.63 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 300 of these jobs there. That is 23% below the $50,060 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $28,820 and $49,050; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $32,487 in take-home pay.

Receptionist pay in Iowa City, IA at a glance

Median salary

$38,740$18.63 per hour · $3,228 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$28,820$13.86/hr
25th percentile$33,110$15.92/hr
75th percentile$43,360$20.85/hr
90th percentile$49,050$23.58/hr
Jobs in this metro300Location quotient 0.56 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here23% belowAll-jobs median $50,060
Against Iowa4% aboveStatewide median $37,330
Against the U.S.2% aboveNational median $38,010

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.

Receptionist salary in Iowa City, IA after taxes

$38,740
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$38,740
Net 84%
Fed 6%
IA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$32,487After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,707Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,250Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,469 / yr
Iowa state income tax$820 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,964 / yr

Receptionists pay range in Iowa City, IA, hourly and yearly

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

What receptionists earned in the Iowa City, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile$13.86/hr$2,402$28,820$24,894
25th percentile$15.92/hr$2,759$33,110$28,178
MedianMedian$18.63/hr$3,228$38,740$32,487
75th percentile$20.85/hr$3,613$43,360$36,024
90th percentile$23.58/hr$4,088$49,050$40,380

Is $38,740 a good salary in Iowa City, IA?

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

Median household income$75,088Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)91.58.5% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household51.6%of area median income

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

Receptionist pay in Iowa City, IA: common questions

What is the median salary for receptionists in Iowa City, IA?

The BLS median annual wage for receptionists in the Iowa City, IA metro area was $38,740 in May 2025, about $3,228 a month or $18.63 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $37,330, so the metro pays 4% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for receptionists in Iowa City, IA?

The median hourly wage for receptionists in Iowa City, IA was $18.63 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.86 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.58.

How many receptionists work in Iowa City, IA?

BLS estimated 300 jobs for receptionists in the metro in May 2025, or 3.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.56 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for receptionists in Iowa City, IA?

BLS wage estimates for receptionists in Iowa City, IA run from $28,820 at the 10th percentile to $33,110 at the 25th, $43,360 at the 75th, and $49,050 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do receptionists take home after taxes in Iowa City, IA?

On a median gross salary of $38,740, an estimated $32,487 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,250 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,253 (an effective rate of 16.1%).

How much do receptionists make per month in Iowa City, IA?

On the median annual salary of $38,740, gross monthly income is $3,228. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,707 per month (or $1,250 every two weeks).

Is $38,740 a good salary in Iowa City, IA?

At $38,740, the median salary for receptionists is 51.6% of the Iowa City, IA median household income ($75,088). It is 23% below the $50,060 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 91.5, so prices here run 8.5% below the U.S. average.