Interior Designers Salary
Interior Designers in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA make a median of $59,470 a year, or about $28.59 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $116K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.06), which stretches that salary to about $68,309 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,051/month, or 26.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $59K 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 interior designers
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What this looks like in Waterloo-Cedar Falls
Pay for interior designers in Waterloo-Cedar Falls runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $67K. Rent runs $1,051/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 26.9% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for interior designers in metros near Waterloo-Cedar Falls, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $58K | $63K |
| Cedar Rapids | $50K | $57K |
| Iowa City | $59K | $64K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $52K | $59K |
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 interior designers (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K. Top earners bring in $116K or more, a $80K spread from bottom to top.
Interior Designers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Interior Designers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $98K | +47% | 620 |
| Wyoming | $96K | +43% | 90 |
| California | $80K | +19% | 8,500 |
| Massachusetts | $80K | +19% | 1,580 |
| Colorado | $78K | +17% | 2,300 |
| Washington | $77K | +14% | 1,330 |
| Illinois | $76K | +14% | 2,570 |
| New York | $76K | +12% | 5,340 |
| New Jersey | $74K | +10% | 1,670 |
| Minnesota | $73K | +9% | 1,220 |
| Georgia | $72K | +7% | 3,050 |
| Arkansas | $70K | +4% | 740 |
| Oklahoma | $69K | +2% | 490 |
| Connecticut | $67K | +0% | 630 |
| Oregon | $66K | -1% | 1,030 |
| South Dakota | $65K | -3% | 150 |
| Texas | $65K | -3% | 6,450 |
| Maryland | $65K | -3% | 1,440 |
| Nebraska | $65K | -3% | 430 |
| New Hampshire | $64K | -5% | 300 |
| Vermont | $64K | -5% | 110 |
| Maine | $64K | -5% | 230 |
| South Carolina | $64K | -5% | 940 |
| Hawaii | $64K | -5% | 270 |
| Tennessee | $64K | -5% | 1,530 |
| Alaska | $63K | -6% | 40 |
| Wisconsin | $63K | -7% | 1,200 |
| Indiana | $63K | -7% | 1,020 |
| Virginia | $63K | -7% | 1,550 |
| Pennsylvania | $62K | -7% | 1,820 |
| Montana | $62K | -8% | 290 |
| Utah | $62K | -8% | 1,110 |
| Arizona | $61K | -9% | 1,600 |
| Ohio | $61K | -9% | 2,180 |
| North Carolina | $61K | -9% | 2,610 |
| Kansas | $61K | -9% | 400 |
| Alabama | $61K | -9% | 620 |
| Florida | $61K | -9% | 7,410 |
| New Mexico | $61K | -9% | 90 |
| Louisiana | $61K | -10% | 350 |
| Delaware | $60K | -10% | 190 |
| Missouri | $60K | -11% | 1,010 |
| Michigan | $59K | -12% | 1,930 |
| Kentucky | $59K | -12% | 490 |
| North Dakota | $59K | -12% | 160 |
| Rhode Island | $58K | -14% | 550 |
| Iowa | $58K | -14% | 510 |
| West Virginia | $50K | -26% | 90 |
| Mississippi | $44K | -35% | 330 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track interior designers 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 interior designer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Yes — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 26.9% 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 interior designers in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new interior designers typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,159/month. At HUD’s $1,051/month FMR, rent would take 49% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is interior designer a high-paying job in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $59K here vs. $67K 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 interior designers?
Waterloo-Cedar Falls pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $67K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $68K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do interior designers make in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?
The median is $59,470 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,990, and experienced interior designers can clear $115,960. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,905/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,051/month, which eats 26.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a interior designers 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 interior designers salary is worth about $68,309 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do interior designers 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.