SOC 21-1093 · Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro

Social and Human Service Assistants Salary in Waterloo, IA

The average salary for social and human service assistants in Waterloo, Iowa is $45,190 a year ($21.72 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $44,250: half of the 160 people in this job in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 5% less than the U.S. average for this job ($47,690).

$45,190average per year

$21.72 / hourMedian $44,250Take-home ≈ $37,385

  • $35K10th
  • $37K25th
  • $44KMedian
  • $47K75th
  • $61K90th

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

160people in this job
-5%vs U.S. average
#3 of 8Iowa metros
87cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Social and Human Service Assistants pay range in Waterloo

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,320 a year or less, while the top 10% make $60,610 or more. The middle half of social and human service assistants in Waterloo earn between $37,080 and $47,160.

  • $35K10th
  • $37K25th
  • $44KMedian
  • $47K75th
  • $61K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$45,190$3,766$21.73
Median$44,250$3,688$21.27
Entry level (25th percentile)$37,080$3,090$17.83
Experienced (75th percentile)$47,160$3,930$22.67

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

Social and Human Service Assistants pay in Waterloo vs. Iowa and the U.S.

Social and human service assistants in Waterloo earn about the same as the Iowa average ($44,430) and 5% less than the U.S. average ($47,690). At the median the gap is -4% against the U.S. median of $45,930.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Waterloo$45,190$44,250$35,320$60,610160
Iowa$44,430$42,480$33,060$60,7805,230
United States$47,690$45,930$34,200$63,290437,860

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

Social and Human Service Assistants salary after taxes in Waterloo

On the average salary of $45,190, a single filer in Waterloo takes home about $37,385 a year, or $3,115 a month and $1,438 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

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Is Waterloo a good place for social and human service assistants? 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 $45,190 buys what about $51,909 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Waterloo ($47,430). A typical home costs $200,191, or 4.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $45,190 is worth in another city

Social and Human Service Assistants salary in other Iowa cities

Waterloo ranks 3rd of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job; Des Moines pays the most ($47,270).

All Social and Human Service Assistants salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for social and human service assistants

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($63,980).

Social and Human Service Assistants salary by city

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Social and Human Service Assistants salary in Waterloo: questions

How much do social and human service assistants make an hour in Waterloo?

$21.72 an hour on average, and $21.27 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level social and human service assistants salary in Waterloo?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,320 a year and the 25th percentile is $37,080, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the social and human service assistants take-home pay in Waterloo?

About $37,385 a year ($3,115 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $45,190. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do social and human service assistants earn more in Waterloo than elsewhere?

The average here is 5% less than the U.S. average for this job ($47,690).

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 21-1093; area Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA (47940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.1%.
  • 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 0.66, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.66).

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