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

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

In the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metropolitan area, teaching assistants earned a median of $29,900 a year in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,350 of these jobs there. That is 37% below the $47,430 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $22,570 and $37,480; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $25,720 in take-home pay.

Teaching assistant pay in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA at a glance

Median salary

$29,900$2,492 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$22,570—
25th percentile$26,270—
75th percentile$34,950—
90th percentile$37,480—
Jobs in this metro1,350Location quotient 1.75 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here37% belowAll-jobs median $47,430
Against Iowa2% belowStatewide median $30,510
Against the U.S.19% belowNational median $36,780

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.

Take-home payWhat $30,000 a year leaves after tax in IowaFederal tax, FICA and Iowa withholding on that salary, with the other 49 states beside it.
By the hour$14 an hour is how much a yearWeekly, biweekly and monthly gross at 2,080 hours, plus time and a half.
HousingWhat a $30,000 salary buys at today's ratesPrice range, down payment and the monthly payment behind it, on current mortgage rates.
Local pricesWhat $30,000 is worth where you liveRent, groceries and the local price level against the national average.
Same stateEvery occupation Iowa publishes a wage forThe biggest employers, the best paid, and what is distinctive about Iowa.

Teaching assistant salary in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA after taxes

$29,900
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$29,900
Net 86%
Fed 5%
IA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$25,720After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,143Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$989Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,408 / yr
Iowa state income tax$484 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,287 / yr
Customize deductions in full Iowa calculator

Teaching assistants 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 teaching assistants earned in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile—$1,881$22,570$19,991
25th percentile—$2,189$26,270$22,897
MedianMedian—$2,492$29,900$25,720
75th percentile—$2,913$34,950$29,586
90th percentile—$3,123$37,480$31,523

Is $29,900 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 teaching assistants 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 household42.2%of area median income

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

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Teaching assistants pay in other Iowa metros

Metros in the same state that are closest in size to Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA. A statewide average can hide differences this large.

Teaching assistant pay in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for teaching assistants in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area was $29,900 in May 2025, about $2,492 a month. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $30,510, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

Is there an hourly rate for teaching assistants 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 teaching assistants work in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

BLS estimated 1,350 jobs for teaching assistants in the metro in May 2025, or 16.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.75 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

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

BLS wage estimates for teaching assistants in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA run from $22,570 at the 10th percentile to $26,270 at the 25th, $34,950 at the 75th, and $37,480 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $29,900, an estimated $25,720 lands in net take-home pay per year ($989 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,180 (an effective rate of 14%).

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

On the median annual salary of $29,900, gross monthly income is $2,492. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,143 per month (or $989 every two weeks).

Is $29,900 a good salary in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

At $29,900, the median salary for teaching assistants is 42.2% of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA median household income ($70,811). It is 37% 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.