SOC 51-4111 · Dubuque, IA metro

Tool and Die Makers Salary in Dubuque, IA

The average salary for tool and die makers in Dubuque, Iowa is $66,000 a year ($31.73 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $63,290: half of the 70 people in this job in the Dubuque, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($67,866).

$66,000average per year

$31.73 / hourMedian $63,290Take-home ≈ $53,315

  • $50K10th
  • $62K25th
  • $63KMedian
  • $74K75th
  • $79K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

70people in this job
-3%vs U.S. metro average
#3 of 5Iowa metros
87cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Tool and Die Makers pay range in Dubuque

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,900 a year or less, while the top 10% make $78,830 or more. The middle half of tool and die makers in Dubuque earn between $61,570 and $74,340.

  • $50K10th
  • $62K25th
  • $63KMedian
  • $74K75th
  • $79K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$66,000$5,500$31.73
Median$63,290$5,274$30.43
Entry level (25th percentile)$61,570$5,131$29.60
Experienced (75th percentile)$74,340$6,195$35.74

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

Tool and Die Makers salary after taxes in Dubuque

On the average salary of $66,000, a single filer in Dubuque takes home about $53,315 a year, or $4,443 a month and $2,051 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% 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 Dubuque a good place for tool and die makers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Dubuque area are 13% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 87.3), so the average $66,000 buys what about $75,577 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Dubuque ($48,750). A typical home costs $279,463, or 4.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $66,000 is worth in another city

Tool and Die Makers salary in other Iowa cities

Dubuque ranks 3rd of 5 Iowa metro areas for this job; Des Moines pays the most ($72,690).

All Tool and Die Makers salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for tool and die makers

Seattle, WA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($107,510).

Tool and Die Makers salary by city

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Tool and Die Makers salary in Dubuque: questions

How much do tool and die makers make an hour in Dubuque?

$31.73 an hour on average, and $30.43 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level tool and die makers salary in Dubuque?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,900 a year and the 25th percentile is $61,570, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the tool and die makers take-home pay in Dubuque?

About $53,315 a year ($4,443 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $66,000. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do tool and die makers earn more in Dubuque than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($67,866).

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 51-4111; area Dubuque, IA (20220). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.1%.
  • 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 3.16, this job is 3.2 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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