SOC 43-9051 · Iowa City, IA metro

Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service Salary in Iowa City, IA

The average salary for mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) in Iowa City, Iowa is $40,800 a year ($19.61 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $43,240: half of the 40 people in this job in the Iowa City, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($41,650).

$40,800average per year

$19.61 / hourMedian $43,240Take-home ≈ $34,024

  • $27K10th
  • $32K25th
  • $43KMedian
  • $47K75th
  • $51K90th

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

40people in this job
-2%vs U.S. average
#1 of 4Iowa metros
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
Advertisement

Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service pay range in Iowa City

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $27,190 a year or less, while the top 10% make $50,730 or more. The middle half of mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) in Iowa City earn between $32,470 and $46,860.

  • $27K10th
  • $32K25th
  • $43KMedian
  • $47K75th
  • $51K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$40,800$3,400$19.62
Median$43,240$3,603$20.79
Entry level (25th percentile)$32,470$2,706$15.61
Experienced (75th percentile)$46,860$3,905$22.53

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

Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service pay in Iowa City vs. Iowa and the U.S.

Mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) in Iowa City earn 13% more than the Iowa average ($36,060) and about the same as the U.S. average ($41,650). At the median the gap is +10% against the U.S. median of $39,280.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Iowa City$40,800$43,240$27,190$50,73040
Iowa$36,060$35,610$26,100$46,840830
United States$41,650$39,280$30,780$54,82055,230

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

Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service salary after taxes in Iowa City

On the average salary of $40,800, a single filer in Iowa City takes home about $34,024 a year, or $2,835 a month and $1,309 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% 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

Advertisement

Is Iowa City a good place for mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service)? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Iowa City area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 91.5), so the average $40,800 buys what about $44,586 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Iowa City ($50,060). A typical home costs $302,063, or 7.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $40,800 is worth in another city

Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service salary in other Iowa cities

Iowa City ranks 1st of 4 Iowa metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service)

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($52,100).

Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service salary by city

Advertisement

Does this match what you are paid?

Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.

Share your pay anonymously

Reviewed before it counts. Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service in Iowa City, IA.

Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service salary in Iowa City: questions

How much do mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) make an hour in Iowa City?

$19.61 an hour on average, and $20.79 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) salary in Iowa City?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $27,190 a year and the 25th percentile is $32,470, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) take-home pay in Iowa City?

About $34,024 a year ($2,835 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $40,800. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) earn more in Iowa City than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($41,650).

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 43-9051; area Iowa City, IA (26980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.1%.
  • 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 1.12, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.