Recreation Workers pay range in Iowa City
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $26,110 a year or less, while the top 10% make $43,940 or more. The middle half of recreation workers in Iowa City earn between $29,010 and $36,190.
- $26K10th
- $29K25th
- $32KMedian
- $36K75th
- $44K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $33,160 | $2,763 | $15.94 |
| Median | $31,740 | $2,645 | $15.26 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $29,010 | $2,418 | $13.95 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $36,190 | $3,016 | $17.40 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Recreation Workers salary after taxes in Iowa City
On the average salary of $33,160, a single filer in Iowa City takes home about $28,176 a year, or $2,348 a month and $1,084 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% 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.
Is Iowa City a good place for recreation workers? 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 $33,160 buys what about $36,237 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Iowa City ($50,060). A typical home costs $302,063, or 9.1 years of this average salary before tax.
Recreation Workers salary in other Iowa cities
Iowa City ranks 6th of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job; Des Moines pays the most ($37,490).
- Des Moines$37,490
- Dubuque$37,250
- Sioux City$35,190
- Davenport$34,140
- Waterloo$33,370
- Iowa City$33,160
- Ames$32,440
- Cedar Rapids$32,420
Highest-paying cities for recreation workers
Fairbanks, AK pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($61,070).
- Fairbanks, AK$61,070
- San Jose, CA$54,750
- San Francisco, CA$48,810
- Seattle, WA$47,840
- Bozeman, MT$47,520
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Recreation Workers salary in Iowa City: questions
How much do recreation workers make an hour in Iowa City?
$15.94 an hour on average, and $15.26 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level recreation workers salary in Iowa City?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $26,110 a year and the 25th percentile is $29,010, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the recreation workers take-home pay in Iowa City?
About $28,176 a year ($2,348 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $33,160. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
Do recreation workers earn more in Iowa City than elsewhere?
The average here is 15% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($38,839).
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 39-9032; area Iowa City, IA (26980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.0%.
- 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 0.89, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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