Tutors Salary
In Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, tutors earn $32,940 at the median, or about $15.84 an hour. The range runs from $23K at the entry level to $57K for experienced workers. Note: the mean (average) wage is $77K, significantly higher than the median. This typically reflects a mix of employment settings including academic and private practice positions. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.06), which stretches that salary to about $37,836 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,051/month, about 46.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $33K 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 tutors
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What this looks like in Waterloo-Cedar Falls
Pay for tutors in Waterloo-Cedar Falls runs about 24% below the U.S. median of $43K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,051/month, which is 46.6% 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 tutorss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tutors in metros near Waterloo-Cedar Falls, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $31K | $35K |
| Cedar Rapids | $38K | $43K |
| Iowa City | $44K | $48K |
| Sioux City | $33K | $38K |
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 tutors (10th percentile) start around $23K. Mid-career wages sit at $33K. Top earners bring in $57K or more, a $34K spread from bottom to top.
Tutors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Tutors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | $82K | +90% | 200 |
| Rhode Island | $78K | +80% | 300 |
| Massachusetts | $61K | +40% | 4,610 |
| Vermont | $54K | +24% | 130 |
| New Hampshire | $54K | +24% | 700 |
| Maryland | $53K | +22% | 4,300 |
| Connecticut | $50K | +16% | 3,230 |
| Tennessee | $50K | +16% | 3,310 |
| Maine | $50K | +15% | 340 |
| Mississippi | $50K | +14% | 1,220 |
| Oregon | $48K | +11% | 1,130 |
| Colorado | $47K | +9% | 2,500 |
| Georgia | $47K | +9% | 5,690 |
| New York | $47K | +9% | 12,730 |
| North Dakota | $46K | +7% | 110 |
| Alaska | $46K | +6% | 550 |
| Washington | $45K | +5% | 2,460 |
| California | $45K | +4% | 45,370 |
| Minnesota | $45K | +3% | 1,370 |
| West Virginia | $44K | +2% | 280 |
| Ohio | $44K | +1% | 5,760 |
| North Carolina | $42K | -2% | 5,780 |
| New Jersey | $42K | -2% | 5,270 |
| Montana | $41K | -5% | 450 |
| Wisconsin | $41K | -5% | 1,530 |
| Virginia | $41K | -6% | 4,090 |
| Arizona | $39K | -10% | 2,730 |
| South Dakota | $39K | -11% | 250 |
| Nebraska | $38K | -11% | 950 |
| Indiana | $38K | -12% | 1,770 |
| Illinois | $37K | -14% | 5,910 |
| Michigan | $37K | -14% | 6,010 |
| Florida | $37K | -14% | 12,220 |
| Iowa | $37K | -15% | 610 |
| New Mexico | $37K | -15% | 460 |
| Hawaii | $37K | -16% | 1,130 |
| Pennsylvania | $36K | -16% | 4,540 |
| Alabama | $36K | -18% | 890 |
| Utah | $35K | -19% | 3,150 |
| Idaho | $35K | -19% | 760 |
| Oklahoma | $35K | -20% | 1,220 |
| Kentucky | $34K | -21% | 780 |
| Kansas | $34K | -21% | 1,290 |
| Louisiana | $34K | -22% | 540 |
| Texas | $34K | -22% | 10,690 |
| Delaware | $33K | -23% | 590 |
| South Carolina | $33K | -23% | 1,510 |
| Missouri | $32K | -26% | 1,670 |
| Arkansas | $31K | -29% | 720 |
| Nevada | $30K | -30% | 1,070 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track tutors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Waterloo-Cedar Falls numbers change.
Related careers in Education
Frequently asked questions
Can a tutor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $33K, rent takes 46.6% 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 $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tutors in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tutors typically earn — is $23K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,375/month. At HUD’s $1,051/month FMR, rent would take 76% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is tutor a high-paying job in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Local pay runs 24% below the national median — $33K here vs. $43K 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 tutors?
Waterloo-Cedar Falls pays $33K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s -24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — below the national median.
How much do tutors make in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?
The median is $32,940 a year, that works out to about $16 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $22,910, and experienced tutors can clear $56,580. The mean (average) is $76,550, reflecting that some workers earn substantially more. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $33K enough to live in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,254/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,051/month, which eats 46.6% 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 tutors 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 tutors salary is worth about $37,836 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do tutors 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.