SOC 21-1015 · Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro

Rehabilitation Counselors Salary in Waterloo, IA

The average salary for rehabilitation counselors in Waterloo, Iowa is $45,980 a year ($22.10 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $42,880: half of the 70 people in this job in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 11% less than the U.S. average for this job ($51,820).

$45,980average per year

$22.10 / hourMedian $42,880Take-home ≈ $37,989

  • $35K10th
  • $39K25th
  • $43KMedian
  • $47K75th
  • $68K90th

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

70people in this job
-11%vs U.S. average
#2 of 7Iowa metros
87cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Rehabilitation Counselors pay range in Waterloo

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,980 a year or less, while the top 10% make $67,670 or more. The middle half of rehabilitation counselors in Waterloo earn between $39,100 and $47,230.

  • $35K10th
  • $39K25th
  • $43KMedian
  • $47K75th
  • $68K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$45,980$3,832$22.11
Median$42,880$3,573$20.62
Entry level (25th percentile)$39,100$3,258$18.80
Experienced (75th percentile)$47,230$3,936$22.71

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

Rehabilitation Counselors pay in Waterloo vs. Iowa and the U.S.

Rehabilitation counselors in Waterloo earn 6% more than the Iowa average ($43,400) and 11% less than the U.S. average ($51,820). At the median the gap is -8% against the U.S. median of $46,850.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Waterloo$45,980$42,880$34,980$67,67070
Iowa$43,400$39,630$34,370$58,2202,170
United States$51,820$46,850$35,060$77,17094,740

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

Rehabilitation Counselors salary after taxes in Waterloo

On the average salary of $45,980, a single filer in Waterloo takes home about $37,989 a year, or $3,166 a month and $1,461 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% 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

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Is Waterloo a good place for rehabilitation counselors? 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 $45,980 buys what about $52,816 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Waterloo ($47,430). A typical home costs $200,191, or 4.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $45,980 is worth in another city

Rehabilitation Counselors salary in other Iowa cities

Waterloo ranks 2nd of 7 Iowa metro areas for this job; Cedar Rapids pays the most ($48,560).

All Rehabilitation Counselors salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for rehabilitation counselors

New Orleans, LA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($80,030).

Rehabilitation Counselors salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Rehabilitation Counselors in Waterloo, IA.

Rehabilitation Counselors salary in Waterloo: questions

How much do rehabilitation counselors make an hour in Waterloo?

$22.10 an hour on average, and $20.62 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level rehabilitation counselors salary in Waterloo?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,980 a year and the 25th percentile is $39,100, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the rehabilitation counselors take-home pay in Waterloo?

About $37,989 a year ($3,166 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $45,980. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do rehabilitation counselors earn more in Waterloo than elsewhere?

The average here is 11% less than the U.S. average for this job ($51,820).

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 21-1015; area Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA (47940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.1%.
  • 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 1.44, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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