Education Administrators, Postsecondary Salary
In Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, education administrators, postsecondaries earn $85,060 at the median, or about $40.9 an hour. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $170K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.06), which stretches that salary to about $97,703 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,051/month, or 19.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $85K 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 education administrators, postsecondaries
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What this looks like in Waterloo-Cedar Falls
Pay for education administrators, postsecondary in Waterloo-Cedar Falls runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $105K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,051/month, 19.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. 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. Lower pay, lower costs, Waterloo-Cedar Falls can be a reasonable trade-off for education administrators, postsecondarys who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for education administrators, postsecondaries in metros near Waterloo-Cedar Falls, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $83K | $91K |
| Iowa City | $101K | $111K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $82K | $92K |
| Cedar Rapids | $108K | $122K |
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 education administrators, postsecondaries (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $85K. Top earners bring in $170K or more, a $110K spread from bottom to top.
Education Administrators, Postsecondary pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Education Administrators, Postsecondary salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $140K | +34% | 7,280 |
| New Jersey | $132K | +26% | 4,100 |
| Massachusetts | $129K | +23% | 9,120 |
| Delaware | $129K | +23% | 360 |
| Wyoming | $128K | +22% | 120 |
| Washington | $128K | +22% | 2,140 |
| South Dakota | $126K | +21% | 240 |
| California | $125K | +20% | 14,870 |
| Wisconsin | $125K | +19% | 1,190 |
| Connecticut | $123K | +18% | 2,100 |
| Virginia | $121K | +16% | N/A |
| Oregon | $120K | +15% | 2,790 |
| Maryland | $119K | +13% | N/A |
| Colorado | $118K | +13% | 1,770 |
| Kentucky | $114K | +9% | 890 |
| Georgia | $110K | +5% | 2,890 |
| Kansas | $110K | +5% | 1,760 |
| New Mexico | $109K | +5% | 1,160 |
| Michigan | $109K | +4% | 5,110 |
| District of Columbia | $107K | +3% | 1,880 |
| Rhode Island | $107K | +2% | 1,140 |
| Oklahoma | $106K | +1% | 1,700 |
| Minnesota | $105K | +0% | 2,110 |
| Missouri | $105K | -0% | 2,830 |
| Vermont | $104K | -0% | 550 |
| Texas | $104K | -0% | 16,660 |
| New Hampshire | $104K | -0% | 920 |
| Pennsylvania | $104K | -1% | 8,000 |
| Arizona | $103K | -1% | 5,140 |
| Alaska | $103K | -1% | 80 |
| Montana | $103K | -2% | 300 |
| North Dakota | $102K | -3% | 600 |
| Idaho | $101K | -3% | 870 |
| North Carolina | $101K | -3% | 7,390 |
| Tennessee | $101K | -4% | 2,680 |
| Utah | $100K | -4% | 2,320 |
| Alabama | $100K | -4% | 3,760 |
| Illinois | $100K | -5% | 9,530 |
| Louisiana | $99K | -5% | 3,670 |
| Indiana | $98K | -6% | 3,370 |
| Nebraska | $96K | -8% | 1,560 |
| South Carolina | $96K | -9% | 2,990 |
| Iowa | $89K | -15% | 2,510 |
| Nevada | $89K | -15% | 1,320 |
| Maine | $88K | -16% | 860 |
| Ohio | $87K | -16% | 6,880 |
| Mississippi | $87K | -17% | 2,230 |
| West Virginia | $85K | -19% | 1,520 |
| Florida | $84K | -20% | N/A |
| Hawaii | $81K | -23% | 570 |
| Arkansas | $78K | -25% | 1,970 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track education administrators, postsecondary salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a education administrators, postsecondary afford a 2BR apartment alone in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Yes — at the median salary of $85K, rent takes 19.8% 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 education administrators, postsecondaries in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new education administrators, postsecondaries typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,598/month. At HUD’s $1,051/month FMR, rent would take 29% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is education administrators, postsecondary a high-paying job in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $85K here vs. $105K nationally. Cost of living is 13% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Waterloo-Cedar Falls compare to the national average for education administrators, postsecondaries?
Waterloo-Cedar Falls pays $85K median vs. the U.S. average of $105K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $98K — below the national median.
How much do education administrators, postsecondaries make in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?
The median is $85,060 a year, that works out to about $41 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $59,960, and experienced education administrators, postsecondaries can clear $169,800. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $85K enough to live in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,317/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,051/month, which eats 19.8% 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 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 education administrators, postsecondary salary is worth about $97,703 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.