SOC 49-9021

HVAC/R Technician Salary in Iowa City, 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: 97.58 (-2.4% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 75.8% Realized
$48,839 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $64,440 $30.98/hr
Effective Tax Drag 18.21% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$11,734 $451.33/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 $30.98 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$3,866/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$464/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$5,089
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,995
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$934
Iowa Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$1,650
Iowa City school district surtax
LOCAL
-$66
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$48,839 ($1,878.43 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Iowa City, IA HVAC/R Technician Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $64,440
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $44.8k 25th $48.2k Median: $64,440 50th (Median) $64.4k 75th $76.4k 90th $78.8k You: $64,440
10th (Entry) $44,770 $21.52/hr
25th (Junior) $48,230 $23.19/hr
50th (Median) $64,440 $30.98/hr
75th (Senior) $76,380 $36.72/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $78,810 $37.89/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for HVAC/R Technician in Iowa City, IA
1
HVAC Apprentice / HelperEPA 608 Universal Certification, trade school certificate
$40,348$19.40/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Service TechnicianNATE certification, independent diagnostic electrical skills
$62,317$29.96/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Lead Commercial HVAC TechChiller, VRF, and building automation system certifications
$82,913$39.86/hr · 5-9 Years
4
HVAC Mechanical ContractorState Mechanical Contractor license, bonded, business operations
$114,072$54.84/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 Iowa City, IA under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
25% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,002/month Requires minimum annual gross of $40,080
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,180/month Requires minimum annual gross of $47,200
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $21.58/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $19.61/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 Iowa City, 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$64,440-$11,734$48,839$1,878.43
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$76,523-$15,014$56,917$2,189.13
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$88,605-$18,885$64,403$2,477.05
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$100,688-$22,757$71,889$2,764.96
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$112,770-$26,629$79,375$3,052.87
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 Iowa City, 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
$64,440/yr
$30.98/hr · SOC 49-9021
Statutory Tax Drag
18.21% Effective
-$11,734 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
25% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$3,068/mo
Post-$1,002/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 Iowa City, IA: Market Snapshot

HVAC/R Technician roles in Iowa City, IA report a median annual wage of $64,440, 5.6% above the national median of $61,010. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $44,770 to $78,810, and HUD’s $1,002 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 18.7% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $21.58 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for HVAC/R Technician

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Fairbanks-College, AK$93,820+45.6%
Anchorage, AK$85,620+32.9%
Napa, CA$84,570+31.2%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$82,050+27.3%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$80,100+24.3%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$79,510+23.4%
Peoria, IL$78,710+22.1%
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$78,640+22.0%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$78,530+21.9%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$78,490+21.8%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Iowa City, IA

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$205,340$98.72/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$151,850$73.00/hr
Budget Analyst$134,850$64.83/hr
Physician Assistant$134,770$64.79/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$134,210$64.52/hr
Financial Manager$132,220$63.57/hr
Nurse Practitioner$129,030$62.03/hr
Public Relations Managers$127,760$61.42/hr
Sales Managers$126,520$60.83/hr
Administrative Services Managers$120,940$58.14/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 Iowa City, IA (2026) Overview

HVAC/R Technician median pay in Iowa City, IA is $64,440 a year ($30.98/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents & living wage.

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

The median annual wage is $64,440 ($30.98 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $44,770 and $78,810. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

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

On the median wage of $64,440, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $52,089 a year ($4,341 a month) after $12,351 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 19.17%, using 2026 tax rules.