Highway Maintenance Workers Salary
In Cedar Rapids, IA, highway maintenance workers earn $58,440 at the median, or about $28.1 an hour. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $68K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.96), which stretches that salary to about $65,692 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $956/month, or 24.9% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $58K actually covers in Cedar Rapids, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cedar Rapids’s Regional Price Parity (88.96). 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 highway maintenance workers
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What this looks like in Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids sits well above the national pay line for highway maintenance workers, local pay runs about 16% higher than the U.S. median of $50K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $956/month, 24.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.96 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, Cedar Rapids offers a genuinely strong financial position for highway maintenance workers at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for highway maintenance workers in metros near Cedar Rapids, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $61K | $66K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $55K | $62K |
| Sioux City | $58K | $67K |
| Iowa City | $60K | $66K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cedar Rapids, IA
Entry-level highway maintenance workers (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $58K. Top earners bring in $68K or more, a $20K spread from bottom to top.
Highway Maintenance Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Highway Maintenance Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $65K | +30% | 1,650 |
| Washington | $65K | +30% | 2,590 |
| Connecticut | $65K | +29% | 2,130 |
| Minnesota | $63K | +26% | 4,610 |
| Illinois | $62K | +23% | 10,790 |
| Massachusetts | $62K | +22% | 2,000 |
| Montana | $61K | +21% | 1,140 |
| North Dakota | $61K | +21% | 1,240 |
| California | $60K | +19% | 8,150 |
| Iowa | $58K | +16% | 4,000 |
| Vermont | $58K | +16% | 1,170 |
| Wisconsin | $58K | +15% | 6,000 |
| Rhode Island | $58K | +15% | 620 |
| Utah | $56K | +11% | 1,240 |
| New York | $55K | +10% | 13,820 |
| Alaska | $54K | +8% | 50 |
| Michigan | $54K | +7% | 5,230 |
| Colorado | $52K | +4% | 1,990 |
| Idaho | $52K | +4% | 1,340 |
| New Jersey | $52K | +3% | 4,850 |
| New Hampshire | $51K | +2% | 1,230 |
| Arizona | $51K | +1% | 1,410 |
| Virginia | $51K | +1% | 3,400 |
| Nevada | $49K | -2% | 990 |
| Maryland | $49K | -2% | 620 |
| Maine | $49K | -2% | 1,620 |
| Ohio | $49K | -3% | 6,070 |
| Nebraska | $49K | -3% | 2,580 |
| South Dakota | $49K | -3% | 1,800 |
| Indiana | $48K | -4% | 4,380 |
| Wyoming | $48K | -4% | 820 |
| South Carolina | $48K | -4% | 2,290 |
| North Carolina | $48K | -5% | 3,750 |
| New Mexico | $48K | -5% | 1,470 |
| Pennsylvania | $48K | -5% | 11,140 |
| Missouri | $47K | -6% | 5,470 |
| Tennessee | $46K | -8% | 2,280 |
| Kansas | $46K | -8% | 1,960 |
| Texas | $46K | -9% | 6,630 |
| Delaware | $45K | -10% | 90 |
| West Virginia | $45K | -10% | 730 |
| Louisiana | $45K | -11% | 1,050 |
| Florida | $42K | -16% | 2,530 |
| Kentucky | $40K | -20% | 3,030 |
| Oklahoma | $39K | -23% | 3,180 |
| Georgia | $38K | -25% | 1,980 |
| Alabama | $37K | -26% | 2,730 |
| Arkansas | $36K | -29% | 860 |
| Mississippi | $35K | -30% | 4,160 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track highway maintenance workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Cedar Rapids numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a highway maintenance worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Cedar Rapids?
Yes — at the median salary of $58K, rent takes 24.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $956/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for highway maintenance workers in Cedar Rapids?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new highway maintenance workers typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,208/month. At HUD’s $956/month FMR, rent would take 30% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is highway maintenance worker a high-paying job in Cedar Rapids?
Local pay is 16% above the national median — $58K here vs. $50K nationally.
How does Cedar Rapids compare to the national average for highway maintenance workers?
Cedar Rapids pays $58K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s +16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $66K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do highway maintenance workers make in Cedar Rapids, IA?
The median is $58,440 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,270, and experienced highway maintenance workers can clear $67,980. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $58K enough to live in Cedar Rapids?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,841/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $956/month, which eats 24.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a highway maintenance workers salary go in Cedar Rapids?
Cedar Rapids has a Regional Price Parity of 88.96 (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 highway maintenance workers salary is worth about $65,692 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do highway maintenance 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.