Civil engineer · Waterloo, IA
Civil engineer in Waterloo: $3,591/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median civil engineer wage in Waterloo at $97,430 a year. About 110 civil engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.54). The 10th percentile is $61,680 and the 90th is $128,360. Pay ranks 164th-highest of 368 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 10.3× a year of one-bedroom rent ($788/mo). Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $3,591 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Mankato, about 140 miles away, at $4,890 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Left over each month
$3,591
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$97,430
$61,680 to $128,360
Rent (1 bd)
$788
$938 (2 bd)
Employment
110
Location quotient 0.54
Pay rank
164th of 368
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
10.3×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, civil engineer pay of $97,430.
- Taxes$1,971
- Rent$788
- Other living costs$1,769
- Left over$3,591
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $97,430
- Federal income tax
- −$13,049
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$7,453
- State income tax (IA)
- −$3,148
- Take-home pay
- $73,780
- Effective tax rate
- 24.3%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $788
- Groceries
- $347
- Getting around
- $510
- Healthcare
- $391
- Utilities and internet
- $217
- Everything else
- $304
- Total spending
- $2,557
Left over each month
$8,119 gross, minus $1,971 in tax and $2,557 in living costs.
$3,591
Rank every metro for a civil engineer
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Mankato, $4,890/mo.
Civil engineer leftover by city →Best cities for civil engineers to move to →Civil engineer nearby
Other jobs in Waterloo
- Registered nurse
- Software developer
- Elementary school teacher
- High school teacher
- Accountant / auditor
- Truck driver (heavy)
- Electrician
- Lawyer
- Police officer
- Financial analyst
- Pharmacist
- Product / project manager
- Physical therapist
- Nurse practitioner
- Physician
- Construction manager
- Data scientist
- Firefighter
- Mechanical engineer
Questions
What does a civil engineer make in Waterloo?
$97,430 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 110 civil engineer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a civil engineer in Waterloo?
$3,591 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax Rent is $788, and pay covers 10.3× a year of it.
Where nearby would a civil engineer keep more?
Mankato, about 140 miles away, leaves $4,890 a month, more than Waterloo.