How much do Retail Salespersons make in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?

Percentile spread

For Retail Salespersons, the published 10th percentile is $26,380 and the 90th percentile is $45,890. The difference is $19,510, which is 62.4% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $28,450 to the 75th at $36,350, covers $7,900.

The mean annual wage is $34,440, which sits above the median of $31,270. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA median is 11.7% lower than the national median of $35,410 for Retail Salespersons. In 2024 national prices the local median is $35,919, which is 1.4% higher than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 0.3% lower than the Iowa median of $31,360.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA is 87.057, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $31,270 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Retail Salespersons at $35,919 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

16 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Retail Salespersons. Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA ranks 14th of 17 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Cedar Rapids, IA is 53 miles away, with a median of $33,430 and employment of 3,410. That median is 6.9% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $37,577, against $35,919 here.
• Ames, IA is 72 miles away, with a median of $32,460 and employment of 1,460. That median is 3.8% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $36,542, against $35,919 here.
• Dubuque, IA is 81 miles away, with a median of $30,960 and employment of 1,810. That median is 1% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $35,453, against $35,919 here.

Employment share

Retail Salespersons accounts for 2.9% of wage-and-salary employment in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA (2,460 of 84,260). Nationally the occupation is 2.5% of employment (3,897,860 of 155,495,730). The local share is 1.16 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.