Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians Salary
Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA make a median of $62,000 a year, or about $29.81 an hour. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $78K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.06), which stretches that salary to about $71,215 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,051/month, or 25.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $62K 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 farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
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What this looks like in Waterloo-Cedar Falls
Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians pay in Waterloo-Cedar Falls tracks closely to the national median, $62K locally vs. $57K nationwide, a 10% difference. Rent runs $1,051/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 25.9% 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 farm equipment mechanics and service technicians in metros near Waterloo-Cedar Falls, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $64K | $70K |
| Ames | $63K | $71K |
| Dubuque | $62K | $70K |
| Iowa City | $61K | $67K |
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 farm equipment mechanics and service technicians (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $62K. Top earners bring in $78K or more, a $35K spread from bottom to top.
Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | $65K | +15% | 70 |
| North Dakota | $63K | +11% | 770 |
| New Jersey | $62K | +10% | 260 |
| South Dakota | $62K | +10% | 820 |
| Delaware | $62K | +9% | 70 |
| Montana | $62K | +9% | 400 |
| Washington | $61K | +9% | 1,120 |
| Wyoming | $61K | +8% | 90 |
| Oregon | $61K | +8% | 660 |
| Indiana | $60K | +7% | 1,200 |
| Maryland | $60K | +7% | N/A |
| Iowa | $60K | +6% | 2,210 |
| Idaho | $60K | +5% | 680 |
| Illinois | $59K | +5% | 1,770 |
| Maine | $59K | +4% | 130 |
| Wisconsin | $59K | +4% | 1,560 |
| Oklahoma | $59K | +4% | 380 |
| Vermont | $59K | +4% | 130 |
| Connecticut | $59K | +4% | 70 |
| Minnesota | $58K | +3% | 1,620 |
| Texas | $57K | +1% | 2,200 |
| New York | $57K | +0% | 650 |
| Utah | $56K | -1% | 190 |
| Colorado | $55K | -2% | 270 |
| California | $54K | -5% | 4,730 |
| Arizona | $54K | -5% | 700 |
| Ohio | $53K | -6% | 1,300 |
| Missouri | $51K | -9% | 960 |
| Pennsylvania | $51K | -9% | 990 |
| Michigan | $51K | -10% | 980 |
| North Carolina | $51K | -10% | 300 |
| New Hampshire | $50K | -11% | 70 |
| Kansas | $50K | -11% | 2,130 |
| Georgia | $50K | -11% | 570 |
| Alabama | $50K | -12% | 680 |
| Hawaii | $50K | -12% | 40 |
| New Mexico | $50K | -12% | 120 |
| Nebraska | $50K | -12% | 1,770 |
| Mississippi | $49K | -13% | 520 |
| Arkansas | $49K | -13% | 790 |
| Kentucky | $49K | -13% | 800 |
| Florida | $48K | -14% | 800 |
| Louisiana | $48K | -15% | 320 |
| Tennessee | $48K | -15% | 1,030 |
| Virginia | $48K | -16% | 460 |
| South Carolina | $47K | -18% | 260 |
| West Virginia | $46K | -18% | 60 |
Showing 1–10 of 47 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track farm equipment mechanics and service technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Waterloo-Cedar Falls numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a farm equipment mechanics and service technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Yes — at the median salary of $62K, rent takes 25.9% 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 farm equipment mechanics and service technicians in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new farm equipment mechanics and service technicians typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,579/month. At HUD’s $1,051/month FMR, rent would take 41% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is farm equipment mechanics and service technician a high-paying job in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $62K locally vs. $57K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Waterloo-Cedar Falls compare to the national average for farm equipment mechanics and service technicians?
Waterloo-Cedar Falls pays $62K median vs. the U.S. average of $57K — that’s +10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $71K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do farm equipment mechanics and service technicians make in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?
The median is $62,000 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,980, and experienced farm equipment mechanics and service technicians can clear $77,720. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $62K enough to live in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,062/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,051/month, which eats 25.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a farm equipment mechanics and service technicians 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 farm equipment mechanics and service technicians salary is worth about $71,215 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do farm equipment mechanics and service technicians 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.