Child, Family, and School Social Workers Salary
Child, Family, and School Social Workers in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA make a median of $56,530 a year, or about $27.18 an hour. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $79K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.06), which stretches that salary to about $64,932 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,051/month, or 28.3% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $57K get you in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Waterloo-Cedar Falls’s Regional Price Parity (87.06). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About child, family, and school social workers
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What this looks like in Waterloo-Cedar Falls
Child, family, and school social workers pay in Waterloo-Cedar Falls tracks closely to the national median, $57K locally vs. $60K nationwide, a 5% difference. Rent runs $1,051/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 28.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.06 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for child, family, and school social workers in metros near Waterloo-Cedar Falls, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $56K | $61K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $59K | $66K |
| Cedar Rapids | $49K | $55K |
| Iowa City | $49K | $53K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
Entry-level child, family, and school social workers (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $79K or more, a $37K spread from bottom to top.
Child, Family, and School Social Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Child, Family, and School Social Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $79K | +33% | 5,230 |
| Maryland | $76K | +28% | 4,710 |
| New Jersey | $76K | +28% | 7,360 |
| Massachusetts | $76K | +27% | 10,900 |
| Washington | $74K | +25% | 10,720 |
| District of Columbia | $74K | +24% | 2,430 |
| New Hampshire | $71K | +19% | 1,700 |
| Rhode Island | $70K | +17% | 2,450 |
| Hawaii | $68K | +15% | 1,170 |
| Minnesota | $67K | +13% | 6,540 |
| Vermont | $67K | +13% | 640 |
| California | $65K | +9% | 60,310 |
| New York | $65K | +9% | 30,170 |
| North Dakota | $65K | +8% | 870 |
| Oregon | $64K | +8% | 6,630 |
| Colorado | $64K | +7% | 8,200 |
| Maine | $63K | +6% | 2,000 |
| Illinois | $63K | +6% | 19,860 |
| Alaska | $63K | +5% | 1,260 |
| Virginia | $61K | +3% | 9,410 |
| Nevada | $61K | +3% | 4,030 |
| Idaho | $60K | +0% | 810 |
| North Carolina | $60K | +0% | 13,010 |
| Wisconsin | $59K | -0% | 5,710 |
| Michigan | $59K | -0% | 15,760 |
| Kentucky | $59K | -1% | 8,470 |
| Louisiana | $57K | -5% | 1,110 |
| Montana | $57K | -5% | 1,250 |
| Florida | $57K | -5% | 14,000 |
| Wyoming | $56K | -5% | 710 |
| Tennessee | $56K | -5% | 7,870 |
| New Mexico | $56K | -6% | 2,990 |
| Texas | $56K | -6% | 21,670 |
| Kansas | $54K | -9% | 3,190 |
| Iowa | $52K | -12% | 3,410 |
| West Virginia | $52K | -12% | 2,380 |
| Utah | $52K | -13% | 1,930 |
| South Carolina | $52K | -13% | 5,520 |
| Ohio | $52K | -13% | 16,050 |
| South Dakota | $51K | -14% | 2,050 |
| Pennsylvania | $51K | -15% | 16,200 |
| Indiana | $50K | -15% | 6,690 |
| Arizona | $50K | -16% | 7,560 |
| Missouri | $49K | -19% | 9,620 |
| Delaware | $49K | -19% | 910 |
| Nebraska | $48K | -20% | 4,830 |
| Georgia | $48K | -20% | 7,110 |
| Alabama | $47K | -22% | 4,220 |
| Mississippi | $47K | -22% | 3,310 |
| Oklahoma | $44K | -26% | 6,500 |
| Arkansas | $43K | -27% | 1,150 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track child, family, and school social workers salary changes
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Related careers in Community & Social
Frequently asked questions
Can a child, family, and school social worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Yes — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 28.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,051/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for child, family, and school social workers in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new child, family, and school social workers typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,517/month. At HUD’s $1,051/month FMR, rent would take 42% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is child, family, and school social worker a high-paying job in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $57K locally vs. $60K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Waterloo-Cedar Falls compare to the national average for child, family, and school social workers?
Waterloo-Cedar Falls pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $65K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do child, family, and school social workers make in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?
The median is $56,530 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,950, and experienced child, family, and school social workers can clear $78,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,722/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,051/month, which eats 28.2% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a child, family, and school social workers salary go in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Waterloo-Cedar Falls has a Regional Price Parity of 87.06 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median child, family, and school social workers salary is worth about $64,932 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do child, family, and school social workers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.