Firefighter · Waterloo, IA
Firefighter in Waterloo: $1,563/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median firefighter wage in Waterloo at $61,190 a year. About 80 firefighter jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.44). The 10th percentile is $46,230 and the 90th is $85,010. Pay ranks 116th-highest of 346 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 6.5× 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 $1,563 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Ames, about 72 miles away, at $3,039 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Left over each month
$1,563
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$61,190
$46,230 to $85,010
Rent (1 bd)
$788
$938 (2 bd)
Employment
80
Location quotient 0.44
Pay rank
116th of 346
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
6.5×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, firefighter pay of $61,190.
- Taxes$980
- Rent$788
- Other living costs$1,769
- Left over$1,563
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $61,190
- Federal income tax
- −$5,304
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$4,681
- State income tax (IA)
- −$1,770
- Take-home pay
- $49,434
- Effective tax rate
- 19.2%
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
$5,099 gross, minus $980 in tax and $2,557 in living costs.
$1,563
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 Waterloo
- 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 Waterloo?
$61,190 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 80 firefighter jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a firefighter in Waterloo?
$1,563 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax Rent is $788, and pay covers 6.5× a year of it.
Where nearby would a firefighter keep more?
Ames, about 72 miles away, leaves $3,039 a month, more than Waterloo.