SOC 17-2112 · Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro

Industrial Engineers Salary in Waterloo, IA

The average salary for industrial engineers in Waterloo, Iowa is $93,260 a year ($44.84 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $92,330: half of the 120 people in this job in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 16% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($111,166).

$93,260average per year

$44.84 / hourMedian $92,330Take-home ≈ $71,506

  • $74K10th
  • $77K25th
  • $92KMedian
  • $104K75th
  • $126K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

120people in this job
-16%vs U.S. metro average
#8 of 8Iowa metros
87cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Industrial Engineers pay range in Waterloo

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $73,980 a year or less, while the top 10% make $125,780 or more. The middle half of industrial engineers in Waterloo earn between $77,040 and $103,990.

  • $74K10th
  • $77K25th
  • $92KMedian
  • $104K75th
  • $126K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$93,260$7,772$44.84
Median$92,330$7,694$44.39
Entry level (25th percentile)$77,040$6,420$37.04
Experienced (75th percentile)$103,990$8,666$50.00

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

Industrial Engineers salary after taxes in Waterloo

On the average salary of $93,260, a single filer in Waterloo takes home about $71,506 a year, or $5,959 a month and $2,750 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.

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Is Waterloo a good place for industrial engineers? 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 $93,260 buys what about $107,125 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Waterloo ($47,430). A typical home costs $200,191, or 2.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $93,260 is worth in another city

Industrial Engineers salary in other Iowa cities

Waterloo ranks 8th of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job; Sioux City pays the most ($109,040).

All Industrial Engineers salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for industrial engineers

Anchorage, AK pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($169,380).

Industrial Engineers salary by city

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Industrial Engineers salary in Waterloo: questions

How much do industrial engineers make an hour in Waterloo?

$44.84 an hour on average, and $44.39 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level industrial engineers salary in Waterloo?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $73,980 a year and the 25th percentile is $77,040, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the industrial engineers take-home pay in Waterloo?

About $71,506 a year ($5,959 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $93,260. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do industrial engineers earn more in Waterloo than elsewhere?

The average here is 16% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($111,166).

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 17-2112; area Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA (47940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.9%.
  • 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 0.62, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.62).

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