High paying jobs in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA

Every occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA. The percentile range matters more than the median on its own: it shows what the bottom and top of each field actually earn, which a single average hides.

Cost of living: prices in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA run 12.9% below the national average (2024), so a Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA salary is worth about 1.15× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find high paying jobs in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA

OccupationMedian, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA · Employed

1Physicians, All Other$295,200
Doctoral or professional degree
$211,410 – $446,70090
2Family Medicine Physicians$287,990
Doctoral or professional degree
$75,760 – $386,990130
3Chief Executives$199,010
Bachelor's degree
$76,450 – $380,670110
4Dentists, General$163,600
Doctoral or professional degree
$101,000 – $219,74060
5Architectural and Engineering Managers$140,340
Bachelor's degree
$102,250 – $193,68060
6Pharmacists$138,690
Doctoral or professional degree
$103,960 – $165,500160
7Physician Assistants$132,880
Master's degree
$100,430 – $191,90060
8Computer and Information Systems Managers$132,210
Bachelor's degree
$100,520 – $202,470120
9Veterinarians$130,740
Doctoral or professional degree
$77,910 – $164,41060
10Lawyers$126,570
Doctoral or professional degree
$63,800 – $360,480160
11Nurse Practitioners$126,330
Master's degree
$104,330 – $172,420260
12Human Resources Managers$125,970
Bachelor's degree
$83,630 – $201,87080
13Financial Managers$125,690
Bachelor's degree
$80,800 – $216,490370
14Sales Managers$125,050
Bachelor's degree
$69,140 – $215,620150
15Marketing Managers$114,940
Bachelor's degree
$74,350 – $184,16080
16Software Developers$113,970
Bachelor's degree
$64,640 – $167,230280
17Computer Occupations, All Other$107,660
Bachelor's degree
$35,850 – $187,200140
18First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives$106,660
High school diploma or equivalent
$72,490 – $122,03090
19Information Security Analysts$106,350
Bachelor's degree
$65,210 – $143,16030
20Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products$104,530
Bachelor's degree
$56,320 – $179,01070
21Postsecondary Teachers, All Other$103,680
Doctoral or professional degree
$64,020 – $103,680250
22Medical and Health Services Managers$103,330
Bachelor's degree
$75,670 – $187,330340
23Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary$103,180
Master's degree
$76,960 – $140,920160
24Industrial Production Managers$102,810
Bachelor's degree
$76,270 – $173,400170
25Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers$102,680
High school diploma or equivalent
$64,740 – $115,47050
26Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary$100,240
Doctoral or professional degree
$48,170 – $210,350100
27Managers, All Other$99,530
Bachelor's degree
$61,880 – $171,760150
28Occupational Therapists$98,240
Master's degree
$74,770 – $116,19080
29Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators$97,770
High school diploma or equivalent
$55,130 – $97,770420
30Civil Engineers$97,430
Bachelor's degree
$61,680 – $128,360110
31Physical Therapists$97,180
Doctoral or professional degree
$74,860 – $119,240120
32Engineers, All Other$96,440
Bachelor's degree
$59,650 – $119,60040
33Facilities Managers$95,470
Bachelor's degree
$60,990 – $135,160130
34Administrative Services Managers$94,440
Bachelor's degree
$55,790 – $164,09050
35Architects, Except Landscape and Naval$93,620
Bachelor's degree
$59,720 – $150,50040
36Industrial Engineers$92,330
Bachelor's degree
$73,980 – $125,780120
37Construction Managers$92,100
Bachelor's degree
$69,390 – $151,690110
38Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers$91,250
High school diploma or equivalent
$64,870 – $138,830140
39Personal Financial Advisors$90,520
Bachelor's degree
$42,960 – $286,560120
40Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists$90,230
Bachelor's degree
$65,000 – $97,38080
41Mechanical Engineers$88,770
Bachelor's degree
$65,750 – $130,560190
42Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$85,100
Bachelor's degree
$52,120 – $105,41050
43Education Administrators, Postsecondary$85,060
Master's degree
$59,960 – $169,800190
44Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers$84,920
Bachelor's degree
$55,160 – $125,36090
45Management Analysts$83,850
Bachelor's degree
$38,830 – $125,990140
46Dental Hygienists$82,500
Associate's degree
$76,770 – $93,890130
47General and Operations Managers$82,400
Bachelor's degree
$41,870 – $170,2501,510
48Network and Computer Systems Administrators$82,260
Bachelor's degree
$60,530 – $126,110150
49Data Scientists$82,050
Bachelor's degree
$63,380 – $153,05070
50Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians$81,930
Associate's degree
$56,830 – $120,72030

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianWaterloo-Cedar Falls, IA	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$295,200	$211,410 – $446,700	90
2	Family Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$287,990	$75,760 – $386,990	130
3	Chief ExecutivesBachelor's degree	$199,010	$76,450 – $380,670	110
4	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$163,600	$101,000 – $219,740	60
5	Architectural and Engineering ManagersBachelor's degree	$140,340	$102,250 – $193,680	60
6	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$138,690	$103,960 – $165,500	160
7	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$132,880	$100,430 – $191,900	60
8	Computer and Information Systems ManagersBachelor's degree	$132,210	$100,520 – $202,470	120
9	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$130,740	$77,910 – $164,410	60
10	LawyersDoctoral or professional degree	$126,570	$63,800 – $360,480	160
11	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$126,330	$104,330 – $172,420	260
12	Human Resources ManagersBachelor's degree	$125,970	$83,630 – $201,870	80
13	Financial ManagersBachelor's degree	$125,690	$80,800 – $216,490	370
14	Sales ManagersBachelor's degree	$125,050	$69,140 – $215,620	150
15	Marketing ManagersBachelor's degree	$114,940	$74,350 – $184,160	80
16	Software DevelopersBachelor's degree	$113,970	$64,640 – $167,230	280
17	Computer Occupations, All OtherBachelor's degree	$107,660	$35,850 – $187,200	140
18	First-Line Supervisors of Police and DetectivesHigh school diploma or equivalent	$106,660	$72,490 – $122,030	90
19	Information Security AnalystsBachelor's degree	$106,350	$65,210 – $143,160	30
20	Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific ProductsBachelor's degree	$104,530	$56,320 – $179,010	70
21	Postsecondary Teachers, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$103,680	$64,020 – $103,680	250
22	Medical and Health Services ManagersBachelor's degree	$103,330	$75,670 – $187,330	340
23	Education Administrators, Kindergarten through SecondaryMaster's degree	$103,180	$76,960 – $140,920	160
24	Industrial Production ManagersBachelor's degree	$102,810	$76,270 – $173,400	170
25	Electrical Power-Line Installers and RepairersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$102,680	$64,740 – $115,470	50
26	Health Specialties Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$100,240	$48,170 – $210,350	100
27	Managers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$99,530	$61,880 – $171,760	150
28	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$98,240	$74,770 – $116,190	80
29	Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$97,770	$55,130 – $97,770	420
30	Civil EngineersBachelor's degree	$97,430	$61,680 – $128,360	110
31	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$97,180	$74,860 – $119,240	120
32	Engineers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$96,440	$59,650 – $119,600	40
33	Facilities ManagersBachelor's degree	$95,470	$60,990 – $135,160	130
34	Administrative Services ManagersBachelor's degree	$94,440	$55,790 – $164,090	50
35	Architects, Except Landscape and NavalBachelor's degree	$93,620	$59,720 – $150,500	40
36	Industrial EngineersBachelor's degree	$92,330	$73,980 – $125,780	120
37	Construction ManagersBachelor's degree	$92,100	$69,390 – $151,690	110
38	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution ManagersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$91,250	$64,870 – $138,830	140
39	Personal Financial AdvisorsBachelor's degree	$90,520	$42,960 – $286,560	120
40	Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$90,230	$65,000 – $97,380	80
41	Mechanical EngineersBachelor's degree	$88,770	$65,750 – $130,560	190
42	Occupational Health and Safety SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$85,100	$52,120 – $105,410	50
43	Education Administrators, PostsecondaryMaster's degree	$85,060	$59,960 – $169,800	190
44	Software Quality Assurance Analysts and TestersBachelor's degree	$84,920	$55,160 – $125,360	90
45	Management AnalystsBachelor's degree	$83,850	$38,830 – $125,990	140
46	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$82,500	$76,770 – $93,890	130
47	General and Operations ManagersBachelor's degree	$82,400	$41,870 – $170,250	1,510
48	Network and Computer Systems AdministratorsBachelor's degree	$82,260	$60,530 – $126,110	150
49	Data ScientistsBachelor's degree	$82,050	$63,380 – $153,050	70
50	Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$81,930	$56,830 – $120,720	30

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

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The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA to rank honestly.

High paying jobs in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA

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