Print Binding and Finishing Workers Salary
The median pay for a print binding and finishing workers in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA is $31,030/year ($14.92/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $44K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.06), which stretches that salary to about $35,642 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,051/month, about 49.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $31K 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 print binding and finishing workers
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What this looks like in Waterloo-Cedar Falls
Pay for print binding and finishing workers in Waterloo-Cedar Falls runs about 27% below the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,051/month, which is 49.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. 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. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for print binding and finishing workerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for print binding and finishing workers in metros near Waterloo-Cedar Falls, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $38K | $42K |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $44K | $46K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $49K | $46K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $49K | $48K |
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 print binding and finishing workers (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $31K. Top earners bring in $44K or more, a $13K spread from bottom to top.
Print Binding and Finishing Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Print Binding and Finishing Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $108K | +156% | 200 |
| Mississippi | $92K | +117% | 110 |
| Alaska | $57K | +35% | 30 |
| Vermont | $49K | +16% | 80 |
| New Hampshire | $49K | +16% | 140 |
| North Dakota | $49K | +15% | 80 |
| Minnesota | $48K | +14% | 1,710 |
| Maine | $48K | +14% | 180 |
| Illinois | $48K | +13% | 1,540 |
| Connecticut | $48K | +13% | 490 |
| Massachusetts | $47K | +10% | 750 |
| New Jersey | $47K | +10% | 1,640 |
| Oregon | $46K | +9% | 240 |
| Colorado | $46K | +8% | 370 |
| California | $45K | +7% | 1,590 |
| Washington | $45K | +7% | 460 |
| Maryland | $45K | +7% | 560 |
| Rhode Island | $45K | +7% | 40 |
| New York | $44K | +5% | 1,150 |
| Ohio | $44K | +3% | 1,700 |
| Wisconsin | $43K | +3% | 3,560 |
| Pennsylvania | $43K | +2% | 1,640 |
| Virginia | $43K | +1% | 980 |
| South Dakota | $41K | -2% | 110 |
| West Virginia | $41K | -2% | 280 |
| Hawaii | $41K | -3% | 80 |
| Arkansas | $41K | -3% | 200 |
| South Carolina | $41K | -3% | 340 |
| Michigan | $40K | -4% | 1,320 |
| Nevada | $40K | -5% | 350 |
| Idaho | $40K | -5% | 30 |
| Delaware | $40K | -5% | 40 |
| Arizona | $40K | -6% | 240 |
| Kentucky | $40K | -6% | 410 |
| North Carolina | $40K | -6% | 1,070 |
| Utah | $40K | -6% | 690 |
| Georgia | $39K | -7% | 790 |
| Alabama | $39K | -7% | 440 |
| Iowa | $39K | -8% | 330 |
| Florida | $39K | -8% | 1,320 |
| Indiana | $39K | -8% | 970 |
| Missouri | $39K | -9% | 1,010 |
| Oklahoma | $38K | -11% | 140 |
| Kansas | $37K | -11% | 660 |
| Texas | $37K | -12% | 1,820 |
| Tennessee | $37K | -13% | 730 |
| Nebraska | $37K | -13% | 210 |
| Louisiana | $36K | -14% | 180 |
| Montana | $36K | -14% | 90 |
| New Mexico | $29K | -31% | 80 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track print binding and finishing workers 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 print binding and finishing worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $31K, rent takes 49.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,051/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for print binding and finishing workers in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new print binding and finishing workers typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,842/month. At HUD’s $1,051/month FMR, rent would take 57% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is print binding and finishing worker a high-paying job in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Local pay runs 27% below the national median — $31K here vs. $42K 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 print binding and finishing workers?
Waterloo-Cedar Falls pays $31K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -27%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — below the national median.
How much do print binding and finishing workers make in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?
The median is $31,030 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,700, and experienced print binding and finishing workers can clear $43,970. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $31K enough to live in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,134/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,051/month, which eats 49.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a print binding and finishing workers 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 print binding and finishing workers salary is worth about $35,642 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do print binding and finishing 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.
