SOC 25-9045 · Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary Salary in Waterloo, IA

The average salary for teaching assistants (except postsecondary) in Waterloo, Iowa is $30,300 a year, according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $29,900: half of the 1,350 people in this job in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 22% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($38,981).

$30,300average per year

Median $29,900Take-home ≈ $25,986

  • $23K10th
  • $26K25th
  • $30KMedian
  • $35K75th
  • $37K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

1,350people in this job
-22%vs U.S. metro average
#8 of 8Iowa metros
87cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary pay range in Waterloo

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,570 a year or less, while the top 10% make $37,480 or more. The middle half of teaching assistants (except postsecondary) in Waterloo earn between $26,270 and $34,950.

  • $23K10th
  • $26K25th
  • $30KMedian
  • $35K75th
  • $37K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$30,300$2,525—
Median$29,900$2,492—
Entry level (25th percentile)$26,270$2,189—
Experienced (75th percentile)$34,950$2,912—

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year (BLS publishes this job's pay as annual only).

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salary after taxes in Waterloo

On the average salary of $30,300, a single filer in Waterloo takes home about $25,986 a year, or $2,166 a month and $999 every two weeks. Taxes take 14% 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 teaching assistants (except postsecondary)? 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 $30,300 buys what about $34,805 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Waterloo ($47,430). A typical home costs $200,191, or 6.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $30,300 is worth in another city

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salary in other Iowa cities

Waterloo ranks 8th of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job; Davenport pays the most ($35,200).

All Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for teaching assistants (except postsecondary)

Seattle, WA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($54,720).

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salary by city

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Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salary in Waterloo: questions

What is the entry-level teaching assistants (except postsecondary) salary in Waterloo?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,570 a year and the 25th percentile is $26,270, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the teaching assistants (except postsecondary) take-home pay in Waterloo?

About $25,986 a year ($2,166 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $30,300. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do teaching assistants (except postsecondary) earn more in Waterloo than elsewhere?

The average here is 22% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($38,981).

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 25-9045; area Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA (47940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.2%.
  • 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 1.75, this job is 1.8 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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