SOC 51-4041

CNC Machinist 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 76.4% Realized
$44,372 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $58,100 $27.93/hr
Effective Tax Drag 17.63% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$10,242 $393.92/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 $27.93 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$3,486/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$418/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$4,374
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,602
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$842
Iowa Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$1,424
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$44,372 ($1,706.62 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA CNC Machinist Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $58,100
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $45.6k 25th $50.7k Median: $58,100 50th (Median) $58.1k 75th $62.2k 90th $71.2k You: $58,100
10th (Entry) $45,570 $21.91/hr
25th (Junior) $50,690 $24.37/hr
50th (Median) $58,100 $27.93/hr
75th (Senior) $62,160 $29.88/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $71,160 $34.21/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for CNC Machinist in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
1
CNC Operator TraineeMachine loading, part deburring, basic micrometer inspection
$35,602$17.12/hr · 0-2 Years
2
CNC MachinistG-code/M-code setups, CNC milling/turning, tooling offset adjustments
$53,403$25.67/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior CNC ProgrammerMastercam, multi-axis (5-axis) programming, CAD/CAM surface modeling
$71,203$34.23/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Machine Shop SupervisorProduction scheduling, quality auditing, machine fleet maintenance
$90,982$43.74/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA medianView National CNC Machinist Salary Data
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Tool and Die Makers+$5,300/yr
National median: $64,050
Skill overlap: 94%
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators-$8,060/yr
National median: $50,690
Skill overlap: 93%
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic-$5,950/yr
National median: $52,800
Skill overlap: 93%
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic-$8,130/yr
National median: $50,620
Skill overlap: 86%
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)
23% 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$58,100-$10,242$44,372$1,706.62
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$68,994-$12,693$52,161$2,006.19
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$79,888-$16,004$59,090$2,272.71
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$90,781-$19,479$65,855$2,532.89
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$101,675-$22,955$72,620$2,793.07
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

CNC Machinist 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
$58,100/yr
$27.93/hr · SOC 51-4041
Statutory Tax Drag
17.63% Effective
-$10,242 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
23% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,860/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 51-4041
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

CNC Machinist in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA: Market Snapshot

CNC Machinist roles in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA report a median annual wage of $58,100, 1.1% below the national median of $58,750. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $45,570 to $71,160, and HUD’s $838 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 17.3% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $19.94 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for CNC Machinist

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Urban Honolulu, HI$84,410+45.3%
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL$82,690+42.3%
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$80,620+38.8%
Barnstable Town, MA$77,650+33.6%
Lake Charles, LA$75,580+30.1%
Anchorage, AK$75,040+29.2%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$74,560+28.3%
Bismarck, ND$74,090+27.5%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$72,060+24.0%
Flagstaff, AZ$71,620+23.3%

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, 361 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.

CNC Machinist Salary in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA (2026) Overview

CNC Machinist median pay in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA is $58,100 a year ($27.93/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for CNC Machinist 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 a CNC Machinist in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

The median annual wage is $58,100 ($27.93 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $45,570 and $71,160. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a CNC Machinist in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA after taxes?

On the median wage of $58,100, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $47,307 a year ($3,942 a month) after $10,793 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 18.58%, using 2026 tax rules.