Education Administrators, Postsecondary Salary
In Iowa, education administrators, postsecondaries earn $89,320 at the median, or about $42.94 an hour. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $174K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.86), which stretches that salary to about $100,518 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,064/month, or 18.8% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Iowa. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $89K actually covers in Iowa, month by month
About education administrators, postsecondaries
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What this looks like in Iowa
Pay for education administrators, postsecondary in Iowa runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $105K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,064/month, 19.2% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.86 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Iowa can be a reasonable trade-off for education administrators, postsecondary who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Iowa
Entry-level education administrators, postsecondaries (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $89K. Top earners bring in $174K or more, a $114K spread from bottom to top.
Education Administrators, Postsecondary salary by metro in Iowa
6 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids | $108K | +21% | 220 |
| Iowa City | $101K | +13% | 320 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls | $85K | -5% | 190 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $83K | -7% | 370 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $82K | -8% | 230 |
| Sioux City | $82K | -8% | 80 |
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a education administrators, postsecondary afford a 2BR apartment alone in Iowa?
Yes — at the median salary of $89K, rent takes 19.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,064/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for education administrators, postsecondaries in Iowa?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new education administrators, postsecondaries typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,935/month. At HUD’s $1,064/month FMR, rent would take 27% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is education administrators, postsecondary a high-paying job in Iowa?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $89K here vs. $105K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Iowa compare to the national average for education administrators, postsecondaries?
Iowa pays $89K median vs. the U.S. average of $105K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $101K — below the national median.
How much do education administrators, postsecondaries make in Iowa?
The median is $89,320 a year, that works out to about $43 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $59,960, and experienced education administrators, postsecondaries can clear $174,270. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $89K enough to live in Iowa?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,546/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,064/month, which eats 19.2% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a education administrators, postsecondary salary go in Iowa?
Iowa has a Regional Price Parity of 88.86 (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 education administrators, postsecondary salary is worth about $100,518 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do education administrators, postsecondaries 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.