SOC 29-1021 · Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro

Dentists, General Salary in Waterloo, IA

The average salary for dentists, general in Waterloo, Iowa is $169,110 a year ($81.30 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $163,600: half of the 60 people in this job in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 11% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($190,817).

$169,110average per year

$81.30 / hourMedian $163,600Take-home ≈ $121,038

  • $101K10th
  • $130K25th
  • $164KMedian
  • $203K75th
  • $220K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

60people in this job
-11%vs U.S. metro average
#8 of 8Iowa metros
87cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Dentists, General pay range in Waterloo

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $101,000 a year or less, while the top 10% make $219,740 or more. The middle half of dentists, general in Waterloo earn between $130,090 and $202,650.

  • $101K10th
  • $130K25th
  • $164KMedian
  • $203K75th
  • $220K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$169,110$14,092$81.30
Median$163,600$13,633$78.65
Entry level (25th percentile)$130,090$10,841$62.54
Experienced (75th percentile)$202,650$16,888$97.43

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

Dentists, General salary after taxes in Waterloo

On the average salary of $169,110, a single filer in Waterloo takes home about $121,038 a year, or $10,087 a month and $4,655 every two weeks. Taxes take 28% 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.

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Is Waterloo a good place for dentists, general? 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 $169,110 buys what about $194,252 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 3.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Waterloo ($47,430). A typical home costs $200,191, or 1.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $169,110 is worth in another city

Dentists, General salary in other Iowa cities

Waterloo ranks 8th of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job; Des Moines pays the most ($204,670).

All Dentists, General salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for dentists, general

St. Louis, MO pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($261,250).

Dentists, General salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Dentists, General in Waterloo, IA.

Dentists, General salary in Waterloo: questions

How much do dentists, general make an hour in Waterloo?

$81.30 an hour on average, and $78.66 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level dentists, general salary in Waterloo?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $101,000 a year and the 25th percentile is $130,090, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the dentists, general take-home pay in Waterloo?

About $121,038 a year ($10,087 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $169,110. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do dentists, general earn more in Waterloo than elsewhere?

The average here is 11% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($190,817).

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 29-1021; area Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA (47940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.4%.
  • 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 0.87, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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