SOC 15-2051.00

Data Scientist 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 73.7% Realized
$60,433 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $82,050 $39.45/hr
Effective Tax Drag 20.35% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$16,694 $642.07/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 $39.45 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$4,923/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,083/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$8,138
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$5,087
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,190
Iowa Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$2,279
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$60,433 ($2,324.35 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA Data Scientist Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $82,050
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $63.4k 25th $71.0k Median: $82,050 50th (Median) $82.0k 75th $109k 90th $153k You: $82,050
10th (Entry) $63,380 $30.47/hr
25th (Junior) $71,030 $34.15/hr
50th (Median) $82,050 $39.45/hr
75th (Senior) $109,080 $52.44/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $153,050 $73.58/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Data Scientist in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
1
Junior Data ScientistBachelor's degree (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$45,860$22.05/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Data ScientistDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities
$58,485$28.12/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Data ScientistFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team
$82,030$39.44/hr · 5-9 Years
4
Staff / Lead Data ScientistOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$108,440$52.13/hr · 9-14 Years
5
Principal Data ScientistExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$135,874$65.32/hr · 14+ Years
Scaled to the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA medianView National Data Scientist Salary Data
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Financial Specialists, All Other-$39,130/yr
National median: $81,100
Skill overlap: 95%
Statisticians-$14,580/yr
National median: $105,650
Skill overlap: 94%
Operations Research Analysts-$31,290/yr
National median: $88,940
Skill overlap: 91%View Salary
Statistical Assistants-$69,900/yr
National median: $50,330
Skill overlap: 88%
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)
17% 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$82,050-$16,694$60,433$2,324.35
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$97,434-$21,602$69,987$2,691.79
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$112,819-$26,510$79,540$3,059.23
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$128,203-$31,418$89,093$3,426.67
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$143,588-$36,589$98,383$3,783.97
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

Data Scientist 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
$82,050/yr
$39.45/hr · SOC 15-2051.00
Statutory Tax Drag
20.35% Effective
-$16,694 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
17% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$4,198/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 15-2051.00
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

Data Scientist in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA: Market Snapshot

Data Scientist roles in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA report a median annual wage of $82,050, 31.8% below the national median of $120,230. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $63,380 to $153,050, and HUD’s $838 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 12.3% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $19.94 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Data Scientist

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$185,080+125.6%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$170,110+107.3%
Idaho Falls, ID$167,840+104.6%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$164,740+100.8%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$156,830+91.1%
Charlottesville, VA$149,800+82.6%
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL$146,980+79.1%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$141,760+72.8%
Corvallis, OR$140,190+70.9%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$135,980+65.7%

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, 282 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.

Data Scientist Salary in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA (2026) Overview

Data Scientist median pay in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA is $82,050 a year ($39.45/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for Data Scientist 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 Data Scientist in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

The median annual wage is $82,050 ($39.45 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $63,380 and $153,050. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

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

On the median wage of $82,050, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $64,086 a year ($5,341 a month) after $17,964 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 21.89%, using 2026 tax rules.