How Much Does a Physician Assistant Make in Waterloo, IA in 2026?
Typical pay for Physician Assistants 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 Physician Assistant in Waterloo, Iowa earns $63.89 per hour, or $132,880 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $11,073 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $100,430, and the top 10% of earners make over $191,900.
That pay is 1% below the Iowa figure of $134,770 and 2% below the national figure of $135,880. Waterloo ranks 4th of 7 metro areas in Iowa for Physician Assistant pay. About 60 Physician Assistants 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.
Physician Assistant pay in Waterloo at a glance
- Typical pay is $63.89 an hour, or $132,880 a year.
- That is 1% below the Iowa figure, ranking 4th of 7 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $100,430; the top 10% make over $191,900.
- Typical pay rose +50% from 2015 to 2025, against +41% for Iowa as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Physician Assistant make in Waterloo?
Pay in Waterloo runs from entry-level positions at around $48.29 an hour to more than $92.26 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Iowa and national figures.
Physician Assistant pay by career stage in Waterloo
| Career stage | Waterloo | Iowa | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $100,430$48.29 an hour | $102,330$49.20 an hour | $99,380$47.78 an hour |
| First years | $118,810$57.12 an hour | $120,060$57.72 an hour | $120,670$58.02 an hour |
| Typical Physician Assistant | $132,880$63.89 an hour | $134,770$64.79 an hour | $135,880$65.33 an hour |
| Experienced | $164,900$79.28 an hour | $159,950$76.90 an hour | $163,980$78.84 an hour |
| Top 10% | $191,900$92.26 an hour | $182,940$87.95 an hour | $190,280$91.48 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Waterloo · Cedar Falls area as BLS defines it
Physician Assistant pay growth in Waterloo
Typical (median) annual wage for Physician Assistants 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 Physician Assistant pay in Waterloo was $88,680 a year. By 2025 it had reached $132,880, a change of +50%, compared with +41% for Iowa over the same years.
How Waterloo compares with other Iowa cities
Davenport pays Physician Assistants the most in Iowa at $137,420 a year, $4,540 more than Waterloo. The lowest-paying area in the state is Dubuque at $126,050.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Waterloo | Physician Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Davenport | $137,420 | $66.07 | +3% | 110 |
| 2 | Iowa City | $134,770 | $64.79 | +1% | 230 |
| 3 | West Des Moines metro incl. Des Moines | $133,830 | $64.34 | +1% | 340 |
| 4 | Waterloo metro incl. Cedar Falls | $132,880 | $63.89 | this city | 60 |
| 5 | Sioux City | $130,970 | $62.97 | -1% | 70 |
| 6 | Cedar Rapids | $129,680 | $62.35 | -2% | 80 |
| 7 | Dubuque | $126,050 | $60.60 | -5% | 40 |
Every metro area in Iowa with Physician Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Iowa typical pay $134,770
Is Waterloo a good place to work as a Physician Assistant?
Physician Assistant pay in Waterloo sits close to the national figure: $132,880 a year, 2% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Waterloo · Cedar Falls area, about 0.7 are Physician Assistant positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.1. That makes Physician Assistants a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Physician Assistant make in Waterloo, IA?
- A typical Physician Assistant in Waterloo earns $132,880 a year, or $63.89 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $100,430 and the top 10% earn over $191,900.
- How much does a Physician Assistant make an hour in Waterloo?
- Typical hourly pay for Physician Assistants in Waterloo is $63.89. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $48.29, and the top 10% earn over $92.26 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Physician Assistant in Waterloo?
- Entry-level Physician Assistant positions in Waterloo typically offer around $48.29 an hour, or $100,430 a year.
- Is Physician Assistant pay in Waterloo higher than in the rest of Iowa?
- Waterloo pay is 1% below the Iowa figure of $134,770 a year, ranking 4th of 7 metro areas in the state. Davenport pays the most in Iowa at $137,420.