SOC 33-1021 · Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro

First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers Salary in Waterloo, IA

The average salary for first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers in Waterloo, Iowa is $87,190 a year ($41.92 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $71,490: half of the 30 people in this job in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 10% less than the U.S. average for this job ($96,930).

$87,190average per year

$41.92 / hourMedian $71,490Take-home ≈ $67,467

  • $66K10th
  • $66K25th
  • $71KMedian
  • $108K75th
  • $133K90th

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

30people in this job
-10%vs U.S. average
#2 of 6Iowa metros
87cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers pay range in Waterloo

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $65,720 a year or less, while the top 10% make $132,980 or more. The middle half of first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers in Waterloo earn between $65,720 and $108,250.

  • $66K10th
  • $66K25th
  • $71KMedian
  • $108K75th
  • $133K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$87,190$7,266$41.92
Median$71,490$5,958$34.37
Entry level (25th percentile)$65,720$5,477$31.60
Experienced (75th percentile)$108,250$9,021$52.04

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

First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers pay in Waterloo vs. Iowa and the U.S.

First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers in Waterloo earn 5% more than the Iowa average ($83,040) and 10% less than the U.S. average ($96,930). At the median the gap is -24% against the U.S. median of $93,530.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Waterloo$87,190$71,490$65,720$132,98030
Iowa$83,040$76,010$62,490$112,140600
United States$96,930$93,530$53,430$140,01099,140

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

First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers salary after taxes in Waterloo

On the average salary of $87,190, a single filer in Waterloo takes home about $67,467 a year, or $5,622 a month and $2,595 every two weeks. Taxes take 23% 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 first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers? 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 $87,190 buys what about $100,153 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Waterloo ($47,430). A typical home costs $200,191, or 2.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $87,190 is worth in another city

First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers salary in other Iowa cities

Waterloo ranks 2nd of 6 Iowa metro areas for this job; Des Moines pays the most ($99,800).

All First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers

Bakersfield, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($390,450).

First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers salary by city

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First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers salary in Waterloo: questions

How much do first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers make an hour in Waterloo?

$41.92 an hour on average, and $34.37 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers salary in Waterloo?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $65,720 a year and the 25th percentile is $65,720, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers take-home pay in Waterloo?

About $67,467 a year ($5,622 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $87,190. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers earn more in Waterloo than elsewhere?

The average here is 10% less than the U.S. average for this job ($96,930).

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 33-1021; area Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA (47940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.6%.
  • 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 0.65, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.65).

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