SOC 49-9021

HVAC/R Technician Salary in Dubuque, 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: 93.34 (-6.7% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 76.1% Realized
$46,739 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $61,410 $29.52/hr
Effective Tax Drag 17.89% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$10,987 $422.56/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 $29.52 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$3,685/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$442/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$4,747
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,807
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$890
Iowa Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$1,542
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$46,739 ($1,797.64 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Dubuque, IA HVAC/R Technician Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $61,410
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $37.7k 25th $48.1k Median: $61,410 50th (Median) $61.4k 75th $76.0k 90th $84.4k You: $61,410
10th (Entry) $37,690 $18.12/hr
25th (Junior) $48,140 $23.14/hr
50th (Median) $61,410 $29.52/hr
75th (Senior) $76,040 $36.56/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $84,380 $40.57/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for HVAC/R Technician in Dubuque, IA
1
HVAC Apprentice / HelperEPA 608 Universal Certification, trade school certificate
$38,450$18.49/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Service TechnicianNATE certification, independent diagnostic electrical skills
$59,387$28.55/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Lead Commercial HVAC TechChiller, VRF, and building automation system certifications
$79,015$37.99/hr · 5-9 Years
4
HVAC Mechanical ContractorState Mechanical Contractor license, bonded, business operations
$108,708$52.26/hr · 9+ Years
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Dubuque, 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) $891/month Requires minimum annual gross of $35,640
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,131/month Requires minimum annual gross of $45,240
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $20.64/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $18.98/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 Dubuque, 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$61,410-$10,987$46,739$1,797.64
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$72,924-$13,783$54,766$2,106.40
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$84,439-$17,456$61,917$2,381.41
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$95,953-$21,129$69,067$2,656.41
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$107,468-$24,802$76,217$2,931.42
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

HVAC/R Technician in Dubuque, 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
$61,410/yr
$29.52/hr · SOC 49-9021
Statutory Tax Drag
17.89% Effective
-$10,987 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
23% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$3,004/mo
Post-$891/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 49-9021
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

HVAC/R Technician in Dubuque, IA: Market Snapshot

HVAC/R Technician roles in Dubuque, IA report a median annual wage of $61,410, 0.7% above the national median of $61,010. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $37,690 to $84,380, and HUD’s $891 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 17.4% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $20.64 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for HVAC/R Technician

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Fairbanks-College, AK$93,820+52.8%
Anchorage, AK$85,620+39.4%
Napa, CA$84,570+37.7%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$82,050+33.6%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$80,100+30.4%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$79,510+29.5%
Peoria, IL$78,710+28.2%
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$78,640+28.1%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$78,530+27.9%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$78,490+27.8%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Dubuque, IA

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$212,880$102.35/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$149,300$71.78/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$136,670$65.71/hr
Sales Managers$130,980$62.97/hr
Human Resources Managers$129,670$62.34/hr
Nurse Practitioner$129,620$62.32/hr
Marketing Managers$127,280$61.19/hr
Financial Manager$126,980$61.05/hr
Physician Assistant$126,050$60.60/hr
Administrative Services Managers$119,770$57.58/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 389 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.

HVAC/R Technician Salary in Dubuque, IA (2026) Overview

HVAC/R Technician median pay in Dubuque, IA is $61,410 a year ($29.52/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents and living wage.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a HVAC/R Technician in Dubuque, IA?

The median annual wage is $61,410 ($29.52 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $37,690 and $84,380. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a HVAC/R Technician in Dubuque, IA after taxes?

On the median wage of $61,410, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $49,841 a year ($4,153 a month) after $11,569 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 18.84%, using 2026 tax rules.