SOC 43-6011 · Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants Salary in Waterloo, IA

The average salary for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants in Waterloo, Iowa is $61,910 a year ($29.76 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $59,770: half of the 170 people in this job in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 22% less than the U.S. average for this job ($79,140).

$61,910average per year

$29.76 / hourMedian $59,770Take-home ≈ $50,184

  • $46K10th
  • $49K25th
  • $60KMedian
  • $71K75th
  • $82K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

170people in this job
-22%vs U.S. average
#7 of 8Iowa metros
87cost of living (U.S. = 100)
Advertisement

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants pay range in Waterloo

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $45,950 a year or less, while the top 10% make $81,500 or more. The middle half of executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants in Waterloo earn between $49,330 and $71,200.

  • $46K10th
  • $49K25th
  • $60KMedian
  • $71K75th
  • $82K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$61,910$5,159$29.76
Median$59,770$4,981$28.74
Entry level (25th percentile)$49,330$4,111$23.72
Experienced (75th percentile)$71,200$5,933$34.23

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants pay in Waterloo vs. Iowa and the U.S.

Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants in Waterloo earn 3% less than the Iowa average ($63,930) and 22% less than the U.S. average ($79,140). At the median the gap is -22% against the U.S. median of $76,590.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Waterloo$61,910$59,770$45,950$81,500170
Iowa$63,930$62,340$45,230$83,6004,150
United States$79,140$76,590$50,560$109,850459,910

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants salary after taxes in Waterloo

On the average salary of $61,910, a single filer in Waterloo takes home about $50,184 a year, or $4,182 a month and $1,930 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Iowa paycheck calculator: try your own salary

Advertisement

Is Waterloo a good place for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Waterloo area are 13% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 87.1), so the average $61,910 buys what about $71,114 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Waterloo ($47,430). A typical home costs $200,191, or 3.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $61,910 is worth in another city

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants salary in other Iowa cities

Waterloo ranks 7th of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job; Des Moines pays the most ($67,700).

All Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($113,320).

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants salary by city

Advertisement

Does this match what you are paid?

Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.

Share your pay anonymously

Reviewed before it counts. Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants in Waterloo, IA.

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants salary in Waterloo: questions

How much do executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants make an hour in Waterloo?

$29.76 an hour on average, and $28.74 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants salary in Waterloo?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $45,950 a year and the 25th percentile is $49,330, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants take-home pay in Waterloo?

About $50,184 a year ($4,182 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $61,910. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants earn more in Waterloo than elsewhere?

The average here is 22% less than the U.S. average for this job ($79,140).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 43-6011; area Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA (47940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.3%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.70, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.70).

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.