Web Developers Salary
In Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, web developers earn $78,140 at the median, or about $37.57 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $106K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.06), which stretches that salary to about $89,754 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,051/month, or 20.5% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $78K actually covers in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, month by month
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 web developers
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What this looks like in Waterloo-Cedar Falls
Pay for web developers in Waterloo-Cedar Falls runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $93K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,051/month, 21.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. 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. Lower pay, lower costs, Waterloo-Cedar Falls can be a reasonable trade-off for web developers who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for web developers in metros near Waterloo-Cedar Falls, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $62K | $68K |
| Cedar Rapids | $61K | $68K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $63K | $70K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $97K | $94K |
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 web developers (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $78K. Top earners bring in $106K or more, a $59K spread from bottom to top.
Web Developers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Web Developers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $130K | +41% | 4,430 |
| Virginia | $128K | +39% | 4,590 |
| California | $120K | +29% | 7,320 |
| District of Columbia | $115K | +24% | 430 |
| Maryland | $113K | +22% | 1,960 |
| Missouri | $104K | +12% | 1,160 |
| Minnesota | $101K | +9% | 1,200 |
| Utah | $100K | +8% | 1,280 |
| New York | $99K | +6% | 3,990 |
| Michigan | $98K | +6% | 1,580 |
| Massachusetts | $98K | +6% | 1,940 |
| Rhode Island | $98K | +6% | N/A |
| North Carolina | $97K | +4% | 2,030 |
| New Jersey | $95K | +3% | 2,250 |
| Wisconsin | $91K | -2% | 1,180 |
| Georgia | $90K | -2% | 1,500 |
| Pennsylvania | $86K | -7% | 1,670 |
| Colorado | $86K | -7% | 1,680 |
| Connecticut | $86K | -7% | 750 |
| Texas | $86K | -7% | 4,910 |
| Louisiana | $85K | -8% | 490 |
| Illinois | $85K | -8% | 4,310 |
| Vermont | $85K | -9% | 70 |
| Nevada | $83K | -10% | 340 |
| Kentucky | $83K | -11% | 270 |
| Indiana | $81K | -13% | 860 |
| Nebraska | $80K | -13% | 230 |
| Idaho | $79K | -14% | 220 |
| Oklahoma | $79K | -15% | 410 |
| New Hampshire | $78K | -16% | 470 |
| West Virginia | $78K | -16% | 400 |
| South Carolina | $78K | -16% | 710 |
| Arizona | $76K | -18% | 1,010 |
| Delaware | $76K | -18% | N/A |
| Tennessee | $75K | -19% | 1,620 |
| Kansas | $74K | -21% | 500 |
| North Dakota | $72K | -22% | N/A |
| Wyoming | $68K | -26% | 50 |
| New Mexico | $68K | -26% | 130 |
| Oregon | $64K | -30% | 1,140 |
| Iowa | $64K | -31% | 420 |
| Montana | $62K | -33% | 550 |
| South Dakota | $51K | -45% | 390 |
| Arkansas | $51K | -45% | 400 |
Showing 1–10 of 44 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track web developers salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Waterloo-Cedar Falls numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a web developer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Yes — at the median salary of $78K, rent takes 21.3% 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 web developers in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new web developers typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,117/month. At HUD’s $1,051/month FMR, rent would take 34% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is web developer a high-paying job in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $78K here vs. $93K 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 web developers?
Waterloo-Cedar Falls pays $78K median vs. the U.S. average of $93K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $90K — below the national median.
How much do web developers make in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?
The median is $78,140 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,800, and experienced web developers can clear $106,170. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $78K enough to live in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,944/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,051/month, which eats 21.3% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a web developers 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 web developers salary is worth about $89,754 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do web developers 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.