Auto Mechanics in the Waterloo area earn a median of $48,720 a year, 0% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #206 of 392 U.S. metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Cedar Rapids and Ames, but less in Davenport.
It's one of 8 Iowa metros with published pay for this trade; see statewide auto mechanic pay.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for auto mechanics here is about average compared with other U.S. metros, and above average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is about the same as in most metros (3.9%) and the population is growing slowly (+0.5% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 92 one-person auto repair businesses averaging $47,337 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $65/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
Waterloo scorecard for auto mechanics Our calculation
Grades compare Waterloo with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($48,885).
Pay over time
The median pay for auto mechanics in the Waterloo area went from $36,070 in 2020 to $48,720 in 2025, up 35.1%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's +7.7% — a real raise.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Waterloo Our calculation
Prices in the Waterloo area run 13% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $55,963 would in a typical place, ranking #102 of 387 on real pay.
Two different views, don't combine them. Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
What auto mechanics do
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive vehicles.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Follow checklists to ensure all important parts are examined, including belts, hoses, steering systems, spark plugs, brake and fuel systems, wheel bearings, and other potentially troublesome areas.
- Test and adjust repaired systems to meet manufacturers' performance specifications.
- Perform routine and scheduled maintenance services, such as oil changes, lubrications, and tune-ups.
- Inspect vehicles for damage and record findings so that necessary repairs can be made.
- Align wheels, axles, frames, torsion bars, and steering mechanisms of automobiles, using special alignment equipment and wheel-balancing machines.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, auto mechanic jobs are projected to grow 5.0% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 66,200 openings a year. About 15% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often auto mechanics deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes medium preparation (vocational training or an apprenticeship, often 1–2+ years).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in Iowa Official source
The main state licensing office in Iowa is the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing. It can point you to the right license for auto mechanics.
Official Iowa licensing site ↗
Requirements for auto mechanics vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, auto mechanics have 204 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 2.4× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying IA metros for auto mechanics
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| DubuqueIOWA · IA | $61,030 | $69,886 | 290 |
| Des MoinesIOWA · IA | $60,470 | $65,943 | 1,870 |
| AmesIOWA · IA | $58,820 | $66,216 | 260 |
| Sioux CityIOWA · IA | $54,230 | $62,727 | 330 |
| Iowa CityIOWA · IA | $49,960 | $54,596 | 360 |
| Cedar RapidsIOWA · IA | $49,890 | $56,079 | 650 |
| WaterlooIOWA · IA | $48,720 | $55,963 | 430 |
| DavenportIOWA · IA | $47,880 | $53,750 | 980 |
See every metro in Iowa.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Waterloo area's unemployment rate was 3.9% in 2025 (all workers, not just auto mechanics), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 3.9% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Waterloo area is 16 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 4% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 80% drive alone, 0% take transit and 7% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Waterloo area's population grew 0.5% from 2020 to 2025 (168,388 → 169,189), ranking #276 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +241) account for part of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
New construction
New-home permits in Waterloo are up 170% from 2021 to 2025 (205 → 554).
In 2025 the Waterloo area approved permits for 554 new homes (221 single-family), or 3.3 per 1,000 residents, ranking #204 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 92 one-person businesses (no employees) in auto repair, averaging $47,337 a year in revenue before expenses.
They compete with 59 auto repair companies that have employees (about 242 workers in total). 61% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $48,720 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
How this calculator works. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get auto mechanic pricing & estimate templates →Compare Waterloo with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Pay over time: BLS OEWS May 2020–2025, local; inflation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Housing: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local (age of homes, ownership, home values).
- Population: Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.