Firefighter · Cedar Rapids, IA
Firefighter in Cedar Rapids: $1,483/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median firefighter wage in Cedar Rapids at $61,370 a year. About 170 firefighter jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.53). The 10th percentile is $49,350 and the 90th is $73,090. Pay ranks 115th-highest of 346 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 5.7× a year of one-bedroom rent ($904/mo). Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $1,483 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Ames, about 106 miles away, at $3,039 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Left over each month
$1,483
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$61,370
$49,350 to $73,090
Rent (1 bd)
$904
$1,076 (2 bd)
Employment
170
Location quotient 0.53
Pay rank
115th of 346
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
5.7×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, firefighter pay of $61,370.
- Taxes$983
- Rent$904
- Other living costs$1,744
- Left over$1,483
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $61,370
- Federal income tax
- −$5,326
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$4,695
- State income tax (IA)
- −$1,777
- Take-home pay
- $49,572
- Effective tax rate
- 19.2%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $904
- Groceries
- $347
- Getting around
- $485
- Healthcare
- $391
- Utilities and internet
- $217
- Everything else
- $304
- Total spending
- $2,648
Left over each month
$5,114 gross, minus $983 in tax and $2,648 in living costs.
$1,483
Rank every metro for a firefighter
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Ames, $3,039/mo.
Firefighter leftover by city →Best cities for firefighters to move to →Firefighter nearby
Other jobs in Cedar Rapids
- Registered nurse
- Software developer
- Elementary school teacher
- High school teacher
- Accountant / auditor
- Truck driver (heavy)
- Electrician
- Civil engineer
- Lawyer
- Police officer
- Financial analyst
- Pharmacist
- Product / project manager
- Physical therapist
- Nurse practitioner
- Physician
- Construction manager
- Data scientist
- Mechanical engineer
Questions
What does a firefighter make in Cedar Rapids?
$61,370 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 170 firefighter jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a firefighter in Cedar Rapids?
$1,483 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax Rent is $904, and pay covers 5.7× a year of it.
Where nearby would a firefighter keep more?
Ames, about 106 miles away, leaves $3,039 a month, more than Cedar Rapids.