How Much Does an LPN Make in Waterloo, IA in 2026?
Typical pay for LPNs in Waterloo, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Iowa.
BLS OES May 2025 · Waterloo · Cedar Falls metro area
A typical LPN in Waterloo, Iowa earns $28.82 per hour, or $59,950 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $4,996 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $50,730, and the top 10% of earners make over $74,530.
That pay is 4% below the Iowa figure of $62,630 and 7% below the national figure of $64,400. Waterloo ranks 8th of 8 metro areas in Iowa for LPN pay. About 360 LPNs work in the Waterloo · Cedar Falls area. Waterloo is part of the Waterloo · Cedar Falls metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Cedar Falls share these figures.
LPN pay in Waterloo at a glance
- Typical pay is $28.82 an hour, or $59,950 a year.
- That is 4% below the Iowa figure, ranking 8th of 8 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $50,730; the top 10% make over $74,530.
- Typical pay rose +60% from 2015 to 2025, against +60% for Iowa as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an LPN make in Waterloo?
Pay in Waterloo runs from entry-level positions at around $24.39 an hour to more than $35.83 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Iowa and national figures.
LPN pay by career stage in Waterloo
| Career stage | Waterloo | Iowa | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $50,730$24.39 an hour | $50,550$24.30 an hour | $49,740$23.91 an hour |
| First years | $56,060$26.95 an hour | $56,400$27.12 an hour | $59,000$28.37 an hour |
| Typical LPN | $59,950$28.82 an hour | $62,630$30.11 an hour | $64,400$30.96 an hour |
| Experienced | $66,170$31.81 an hour | $70,840$34.06 an hour | $76,030$36.55 an hour |
| Top 10% | $74,530$35.83 an hour | $77,710$37.36 an hour | $83,440$40.12 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Waterloo · Cedar Falls area as BLS defines it
LPN pay growth in Waterloo
Typical (median) annual wage for LPNs in the Waterloo · Cedar Falls area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical LPN pay in Waterloo was $37,380 a year. By 2025 it had reached $59,950, a change of +60%, compared with +60% for Iowa over the same years.
How Waterloo compares with other Iowa cities
Ames pays LPNs the most in Iowa at $65,610 a year, $5,660 more than Waterloo. The lowest-paying area in the state is Cedar Falls at $59,950.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Waterloo | LPNs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ames | $65,610 | $31.55 | +9% | 190 |
| 2 | Davenport | $64,100 | $30.82 | +7% | 640 |
| 3 | Dubuque | $63,750 | $30.65 | +6% | 200 |
| 4 | Iowa City | $63,690 | $30.62 | +6% | 230 |
| 5 | West Des Moines metro incl. Des Moines | $63,670 | $30.61 | +6% | 1,040 |
| 6 | Cedar Rapids | $61,840 | $29.73 | +3% | 380 |
| 7 | Sioux City | $60,440 | $29.06 | +1% | 260 |
| 8 | Waterloo metro incl. Cedar Falls | $59,950 | $28.82 | this city | 360 |
Every metro area in Iowa with LPN wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Iowa typical pay $62,630
Is Waterloo a good place to work as an LPN?
LPNs in Waterloo earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $59,950 a year, 7% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Waterloo · Cedar Falls area, about 4.3 are LPN positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 4.1. LPN jobs make up about the same share of the job market as they do across the country.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an LPN make in Waterloo, IA?
- A typical LPN in Waterloo earns $59,950 a year, or $28.82 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $50,730 and the top 10% earn over $74,530.
- How much does an LPN make an hour in Waterloo?
- Typical hourly pay for LPNs in Waterloo is $28.82. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $24.39, and the top 10% earn over $35.83 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an LPN in Waterloo?
- Entry-level LPN positions in Waterloo typically offer around $24.39 an hour, or $50,730 a year.
- Is LPN pay in Waterloo higher than in the rest of Iowa?
- Waterloo pay is 4% below the Iowa figure of $62,630 a year, ranking 8th of 8 metro areas in the state. Ames pays the most in Iowa at $65,610.