SOC 13-1075 · Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro

Labor Relations Specialists Salary in Waterloo, IA

The average salary for labor relations specialists in Waterloo, Iowa is $106,220 a year ($51.07 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $77,020: 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 6% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($100,339).

$106,220average per year

$51.07 / hourMedian $77,020Take-home ≈ $80,131

  • $59K10th
  • $77K25th
  • $77KMedian
  • $141K75th
  • $214K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

60people in this job
+6%vs U.S. metro average
#1 of 6Iowa metros
87cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Labor Relations Specialists pay range in Waterloo

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $59,290 a year or less, while the top 10% make $214,480 or more. The middle half of labor relations specialists in Waterloo earn between $77,020 and $140,570.

  • $59K10th
  • $77K25th
  • $77KMedian
  • $141K75th
  • $214K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$106,220$8,852$51.07
Median$77,020$6,418$37.03
Entry level (25th percentile)$77,020$6,418$37.03
Experienced (75th percentile)$140,570$11,714$67.58

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

Labor Relations Specialists salary after taxes in Waterloo

On the average salary of $106,220, a single filer in Waterloo takes home about $80,131 a year, or $6,678 a month and $3,082 every two weeks. Taxes take 25% 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 labor relations specialists? 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 $106,220 buys what about $122,012 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Waterloo ($47,430). A typical home costs $200,191, or 1.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $106,220 is worth in another city

Labor Relations Specialists salary in other Iowa cities

Waterloo ranks 1st of 6 Iowa metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Labor Relations Specialists salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for labor relations specialists

Vallejo, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($165,310).

Labor Relations Specialists salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Labor Relations Specialists in Waterloo, IA.

Labor Relations Specialists salary in Waterloo: questions

How much do labor relations specialists make an hour in Waterloo?

$51.07 an hour on average, and $37.03 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level labor relations specialists salary in Waterloo?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $59,290 a year and the 25th percentile is $77,020, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the labor relations specialists take-home pay in Waterloo?

About $80,131 a year ($6,678 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $106,220. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do labor relations specialists earn more in Waterloo than elsewhere?

The average here is 6% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($100,339).

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 13-1075; area Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA (47940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.5%.
  • 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 1.78, this job is 1.8 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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