Residential Advisors Salary
Residential Advisors in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA make a median of $38,170 a year, or about $18.35 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $49K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.06), which stretches that salary to about $43,843 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,051/month, about 40.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $38K 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 residential advisors
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What this looks like in Waterloo-Cedar Falls
Residential advisors pay in Waterloo-Cedar Falls tracks closely to the national median, $38K locally vs. $42K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,051/month, which is 40.7% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for residential advisors in metros near Waterloo-Cedar Falls, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $38K | $42K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $38K | $43K |
| Iowa City | $39K | $43K |
| Ames | $48K | $54K |
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 residential advisors (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $49K or more, a $14K spread from bottom to top.
Residential Advisors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Residential Advisors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | $49K | +16% | 420 |
| Minnesota | $49K | +15% | 3,410 |
| Washington | $49K | +15% | 1,810 |
| North Dakota | $49K | +15% | 260 |
| New York | $48K | +15% | 6,150 |
| Massachusetts | $48K | +14% | 5,120 |
| Montana | $47K | +12% | 350 |
| Oregon | $47K | +12% | 840 |
| Maryland | $47K | +11% | 2,640 |
| California | $47K | +10% | 8,120 |
| Alaska | $46K | +9% | 380 |
| Nebraska | $46K | +9% | 230 |
| Rhode Island | $45K | +7% | 460 |
| Colorado | $45K | +6% | 760 |
| Vermont | $45K | +6% | 170 |
| Illinois | $44K | +4% | 2,720 |
| New Jersey | $44K | +4% | 1,630 |
| Maine | $44K | +4% | 640 |
| Connecticut | $44K | +3% | 1,250 |
| Virginia | $43K | +2% | 2,950 |
| Wisconsin | $42K | -1% | 1,190 |
| Arizona | $41K | -2% | 1,260 |
| Florida | $41K | -4% | 1,610 |
| Pennsylvania | $40K | -5% | 4,380 |
| Michigan | $40K | -6% | 1,770 |
| Georgia | $39K | -7% | 2,460 |
| Utah | $39K | -7% | 990 |
| North Carolina | $39K | -7% | 2,840 |
| Indiana | $39K | -8% | 1,360 |
| Nevada | $39K | -8% | 190 |
| Ohio | $39K | -9% | 3,070 |
| District of Columbia | $38K | -9% | 670 |
| South Dakota | $38K | -9% | 1,780 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -9% | 910 |
| Kansas | $38K | -11% | 510 |
| Texas | $38K | -11% | 3,630 |
| New Mexico | $38K | -11% | 590 |
| Idaho | $37K | -12% | 400 |
| Hawaii | $37K | -13% | 640 |
| Iowa | $37K | -13% | 780 |
| Missouri | $37K | -14% | 1,380 |
| South Carolina | $36K | -15% | 1,580 |
| Oklahoma | $35K | -16% | 1,060 |
| Tennessee | $35K | -18% | 2,360 |
| Delaware | $35K | -18% | 350 |
| Wyoming | $35K | -18% | N/A |
| Louisiana | $34K | -20% | 420 |
| West Virginia | $32K | -25% | 1,180 |
| Mississippi | $31K | -27% | 660 |
| Kentucky | $30K | -28% | 1,580 |
| Alabama | $28K | -35% | 2,570 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 states
Track residential advisors 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 residential advisor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 40.7% 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 $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for residential advisors in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new residential advisors typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,079/month. At HUD’s $1,051/month FMR, rent would take 51% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is residential advisor a high-paying job in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $38K locally vs. $42K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Waterloo-Cedar Falls compare to the national average for residential advisors?
Waterloo-Cedar Falls pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do residential advisors make in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?
The median is $38,170 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,650, and experienced residential advisors can clear $48,760. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,580/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,051/month, which eats 40.7% 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 residential advisors 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 residential advisors salary is worth about $43,843 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do residential advisors 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.