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

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

In the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metropolitan area, security guards earned a median of $38,670 a year ($18.59 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 380 of these jobs there. That is 18% below the $47,430 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $31,240 and $60,080; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $32,434 in take-home pay.

Security guard pay in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA at a glance

Median salary

$38,670$18.59 per hour · $3,223 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$31,240$15.02/hr
25th percentile$34,920$16.79/hr
75th percentile$49,290$23.70/hr
90th percentile$60,080$28.88/hr
Jobs in this metro380Location quotient 0.55 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here18% belowAll-jobs median $47,430
Against Iowa4% aboveStatewide median $37,080
Against the U.S.2% aboveNational median $38,020

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.

Security guard salary in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA after taxes

$38,670
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$38,670
Net 84%
Fed 6%
IA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$32,434After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,703Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,247Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,460 / yr
Iowa state income tax$818 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,958 / yr

Security guards 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 security guards earned in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile$15.02/hr$2,603$31,240$26,746
25th percentile$16.79/hr$2,910$34,920$29,563
MedianMedian$18.59/hr$3,223$38,670$32,434
75th percentile$23.70/hr$4,108$49,290$40,563
90th percentile$28.88/hr$5,007$60,080$48,823

Is $38,670 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 security guards 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 household54.6%of area median income

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

Security guard pay in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for security guards in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area was $38,670 in May 2025, about $3,223 a month or $18.59 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $37,080, so the metro pays 4% above the state.

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

The median hourly wage for security guards in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA was $18.59 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.02 an hour and one in ten earned more than $28.88.

How many security guards work in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

BLS estimated 380 jobs for security guards in the metro in May 2025, or 4.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.55 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

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

BLS wage estimates for security guards in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA run from $31,240 at the 10th percentile to $34,920 at the 25th, $49,290 at the 75th, and $60,080 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $38,670, an estimated $32,434 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,247 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,236 (an effective rate of 16.1%).

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

On the median annual salary of $38,670, gross monthly income is $3,223. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,703 per month (or $1,247 every two weeks).

Is $38,670 a good salary in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

At $38,670, the median salary for security guards is 54.6% of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA median household income ($70,811). It is 18% below 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.