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Software developer · Waterloo, IA

Software developer in Waterloo: $4,509/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median software developer wage in Waterloo at $113,970 a year. About 280 software developer jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.31). The 10th percentile is $64,640 and the 90th is $167,230. Pay ranks 232nd-highest of 375 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 12.1× 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 $4,509 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Ames, about 72 miles away, at $5,429 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$4,509

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$113,970

$64,640 to $167,230

Rent (1 bd)

$788

$938 (2 bd)

Employment

280

Location quotient 0.31

Pay rank

232nd of 375

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

12.1×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, software developer pay of $113,970.

  • Taxes$2,432
  • Rent$788
  • Other living costs$1,769
  • Left over$4,509

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay
$113,970
Federal income tax
−$16,687
Social Security and Medicare
−$8,719
State income tax (IA)
−$3,776
Take-home pay
$84,788
Effective tax rate
25.6%

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

$9,498 gross, minus $2,432 in tax and $2,557 in living costs.

$4,509

Rank every metro for a software developer

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Ames, $5,429/mo.

Software developer leftover by city →Best cities for software developers to move to →

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Questions

What does a software developer make in Waterloo?

$113,970 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 280 software developer jobs are in the metro.

What is left after tax and rent for a software developer in Waterloo?

$4,509 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax Rent is $788, and pay covers 12.1× a year of it.

Where nearby would a software developer keep more?

Ames, about 72 miles away, leaves $5,429 a month, more than Waterloo.