SOC 13-1082

Project Management Specialist Salary in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA

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
$60,154 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $81,600 $39.23/hr
Effective Tax Drag 20.28% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$16,550 $636.55/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 $39.23 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$4,896/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,077/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$8,045
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$5,059
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,183
Iowa Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$2,263
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$60,154 ($2,313.61 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA Project Management Specialist Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $81,600
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $50.9k 25th $64.2k Median: $81,600 50th (Median) $81.6k 75th $107k 90th $131k You: $81,600
10th (Entry) $50,870 $24.46/hr
25th (Junior) $64,190 $30.86/hr
50th (Median) $81,600 $39.23/hr
75th (Senior) $107,470 $51.67/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $130,730 $62.85/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Project Management Specialist in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
1
Associate Project CoordinatorProject scheduling, CAPM cert, task tracking (Jira/Asana), meeting minutes
$47,850$23.00/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Project Management SpecialistPMP certification, budget management, scope governance, risk registers
$76,560$36.81/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Project / Program ManagerMulti-million dollar portfolio management, cross-functional stakeholder alignment
$105,270$50.61/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Director of Program ManagementEnterprise PMO governance, strategic initiative execution
$135,575$65.18/hr · 8+ Years
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$81,600-$16,550$60,154$2,313.61
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$96,900-$21,431$69,655$2,679.03
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$112,200-$26,312$79,156$3,044.45
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$127,500-$31,193$88,657$3,409.88
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$142,800-$36,323$97,909$3,765.73
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

Project Management Specialist 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
$81,600/yr
$39.23/hr · SOC 13-1082
Statutory Tax Drag
20.28% Effective
-$16,550 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
17% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$4,175/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 13-1082
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

Project Management Specialist in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA: Market Snapshot

Project Management Specialist roles in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA report a median annual wage of $81,600, 20.3% below the national median of $102,320. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $50,870 to $130,730, 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 Project Management Specialist

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Dothan, AL$135,260+65.8%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$135,120+65.6%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$135,040+65.5%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$130,380+59.8%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$127,030+55.7%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$126,660+55.2%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$125,940+54.3%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$124,350+52.4%
Peoria, IL$123,730+51.6%
Boulder, CO$122,040+49.6%

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, 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.

Project Management Specialist Salary in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA Overview

Project Management Specialist median pay in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA is $81,600 a year ($39.23/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles. Official 2026 economic data for Project Management Specialist 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 Project Management Specialist in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

The median annual wage is $81,600 ($39.23 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $50,870 and $130,730. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Project Management Specialist in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA after taxes?

On the median wage of $81,600, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $63,787 a year ($5,316 a month) after $17,813 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 21.83%, using 2026 tax rules.