SOC 33-3012 · Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro

Correctional Officers and Jailers Salary in Waterloo, IA

The average salary for correctional officers and jailers in Waterloo, Iowa is $52,580 a year ($25.28 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $53,480: half of the 170 people in this job in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 17% less than the U.S. average for this job ($63,630).

$52,580average per year

$25.28 / hourMedian $53,480Take-home ≈ $43,042

  • $38K10th
  • $48K25th
  • $53KMedian
  • $57K75th
  • $63K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

170people in this job
-17%vs U.S. average
#8 of 8Iowa metros
87cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Correctional Officers and Jailers pay range in Waterloo

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,810 a year or less, while the top 10% make $63,000 or more. The middle half of correctional officers and jailers in Waterloo earn between $47,670 and $57,080.

  • $38K10th
  • $48K25th
  • $53KMedian
  • $57K75th
  • $63K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$52,580$4,382$25.28
Median$53,480$4,457$25.71
Entry level (25th percentile)$47,670$3,972$22.92
Experienced (75th percentile)$57,080$4,757$27.44

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Correctional Officers and Jailers pay in Waterloo vs. Iowa and the U.S.

Correctional officers and jailers in Waterloo earn 8% less than the Iowa average ($57,140) and 17% less than the U.S. average ($63,630). At the median the gap is -9% against the U.S. median of $58,940.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Waterloo$52,580$53,480$37,810$63,000170
Iowa$57,140$53,040$47,670$73,5303,440
United States$63,630$58,940$42,760$93,220380,500

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Correctional Officers and Jailers salary after taxes in Waterloo

On the average salary of $52,580, a single filer in Waterloo takes home about $43,042 a year, or $3,587 a month and $1,655 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Iowa paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Waterloo a good place for correctional officers and jailers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Waterloo area are 13% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 87.1), so the average $52,580 buys what about $60,397 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Waterloo ($47,430). A typical home costs $200,191, or 3.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $52,580 is worth in another city

Correctional Officers and Jailers salary in other Iowa cities

Waterloo ranks 8th of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job; Davenport pays the most ($69,050).

All Correctional Officers and Jailers salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for correctional officers and jailers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($126,290).

Correctional Officers and Jailers salary by city

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Correctional Officers and Jailers salary in Waterloo: questions

How much do correctional officers and jailers make an hour in Waterloo?

$25.28 an hour on average, and $25.71 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level correctional officers and jailers salary in Waterloo?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,810 a year and the 25th percentile is $47,670, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the correctional officers and jailers take-home pay in Waterloo?

About $43,042 a year ($3,587 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $52,580. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do correctional officers and jailers earn more in Waterloo than elsewhere?

The average here is 17% less than the U.S. average for this job ($63,630).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 33-3012; area Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA (47940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.8%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.85, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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