SOC 13-2011

Accountant & Auditor Salary in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA (2026)

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + IA
COL Index: 90.14 (-9.9% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 75.0% Realized
$55,142 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $73,530 $35.35/hr
Effective Tax Drag 19.01% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$13,976 $537.53/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $35.35 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$4,412/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$971/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$6,376
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$4,559
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,066
Iowa Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$1,975
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$55,142 ($2,120.86 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA Accountant & Auditor Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $73,530
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $48.6k 25th $59.8k Median: $73,530 50th (Median) $73.5k 75th $94.3k 90th $122k You: $73,530
10th (Entry) $48,610 $23.37/hr
25th (Junior) $59,790 $28.75/hr
50th (Median) $73,530 $35.35/hr
75th (Senior) $94,330 $45.35/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $122,140 $58.72/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Accountant & Auditor in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
1
Staff AccountantBachelor's degree (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$49,207$23.66/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Senior AccountantDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; CPA license
$58,873$28.30/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Accounting ManagerFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team; CPA license
$73,548$35.36/hr · 5-9 Years
4
Corporate ControllerOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$96,482$46.39/hr · 9-14 Years
5
Vice President of FinanceExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$126,621$60.88/hr · 14+ Years
Scaled to the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA medianView National Accountant & Auditor Salary Data
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Financial Managers+$82,890/yr
National median: $166,570
Skill overlap: 94%View Salary
Financial Examiners+$10,480/yr
National median: $94,160
Skill overlap: 93%
Tax Preparers-$28,760/yr
National median: $54,920
Skill overlap: 93%
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks-$33,010/yr
National median: $50,670
Skill overlap: 89%
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
18% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $838/month Requires minimum annual gross of $33,520
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,096/month Requires minimum annual gross of $43,840
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $19.94/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $18.73/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$73,530-$13,976$55,142$2,120.86
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$87,317-$18,374$63,704$2,450.15
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$101,104-$22,772$72,265$2,779.43
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$114,891-$27,171$80,827$3,108.71
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$128,678-$31,569$89,388$3,438.00
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

Accountant & Auditor in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and Iowa tax codes.

Market Baseline
$73,530/yr
$35.35/hr · SOC 13-2011
Statutory Tax Drag
19.01% Effective
-$13,976 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
18% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$3,757/mo
Post-$838/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 13-2011
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

Accountant & Auditor in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA: Market Snapshot

Accountant & Auditor roles in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA report a median annual wage of $73,530, 12.1% below the national median of $83,680. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $48,610 to $122,140, and HUD’s $838 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 13.7% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $19.94 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Accountant & Auditor

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$121,700+65.5%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$110,730+50.6%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$105,650+43.7%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$102,140+38.9%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$102,020+38.7%
Midland, TX$100,890+37.2%
Parkersburg-Vienna, WV$100,420+36.6%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$100,150+36.2%
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$100,020+36.0%
Boulder, CO$99,990+36.0%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$199,010$95.68/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$140,340$67.47/hr
Physician Assistant$132,880$63.88/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$132,210$63.56/hr
Nurse Practitioner$126,330$60.74/hr
Human Resources Managers$125,970$60.56/hr
Financial Manager$125,690$60.43/hr
Sales Managers$125,050$60.12/hr
Marketing Managers$114,940$55.26/hr
Software Engineer$113,970$54.79/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 393 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

Accountant & Auditor Salary in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA (2026) Overview

Accountant & Auditor median pay in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA is $73,530 a year ($35.35/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for Accountant & Auditor in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for an Accountant & Auditor in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

The median annual wage is $73,530 ($35.35 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $48,610 and $122,140. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for an Accountant & Auditor in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA after taxes?

On the median wage of $73,530, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $58,416 a year ($4,868 a month) after $15,114 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 20.55%, using 2026 tax rules.