Construction Supervisors in the Iowa City area earn a median of $75,380 a year, 2% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #243 of 392 metros for construction supervisor pay nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Cedar Rapids and Davenport, but less in Ames.
It's one of 8 Iowa metros with published pay for this trade; see construction supervisors across Iowa.
Construction Supervisor pay in Iowa City at a glance
- Construction supervisors in the Iowa City, IA metro earn a median $75,380 a year ($36.24 an hour), #243 of 392 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $50,960 and $99,780.
- After local prices, that median buys what $82,374 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $972 a month, 15% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among construction supervisors in Iowa City.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for construction supervisors here is below average compared with other U.S. metros, and about average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is lower than in most metros (2.7%) and the population is growing faster than most (+4.0% since 2020).
Iowa City scorecard for construction supervisors Our calculation
Grades compare Iowa City 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 ($77,215).
Pay over time
The median pay for construction supervisors in the Iowa City area went from $61,920 in 2020 to $75,380 in 2025, up 21.7%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -2.9% — a real pay cut.
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 Iowa City Our calculation
Prices in Iowa City run 8% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $82,374 would in a typical place, ranking #184 of 386 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
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.
Want the full picture? Build a monthly budget for Iowa City from this pay, local rent and prices.
What construction supervisors do
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of construction or extraction workers.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Inspect work progress, equipment, or construction sites to verify safety or to ensure that specifications are met.
- Read specifications, such as blueprints, to determine construction requirements or to plan procedures.
- Supervise, coordinate, or schedule the activities of construction or extractive workers.
- Assign work to employees, based on material or worker requirements of specific jobs.
- Coordinate work activities with other construction project activities.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, construction supervisor jobs are projected to grow 5.0% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 67,000 openings a year. About 11% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often construction supervisors 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 construction supervisors.
Official Iowa licensing site ↗
Requirements for construction supervisors vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, construction supervisors have 72 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 17% below the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is overexertion and repetitive strain.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying IA metros for construction supervisors
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar RapidsIOWA · IA | $86,880 | $97,659 | 1,120 |
| DavenportIOWA · IA | $86,180 | $96,746 | 1,200 |
| Des MoinesIOWA · IA | $82,090 | $89,519 | 2,720 |
| Sioux CityIOWA · IA | $81,380 | $94,131 | 440 |
| WaterlooIOWA · IA | $77,760 | $89,321 | 360 |
| DubuqueIOWA · IA | $77,320 | $88,540 | 280 |
| Iowa CityIOWA · IA | $75,380 | $82,374 | 360 |
| AmesIOWA · IA | $72,260 | $81,346 | 290 |
See every metro in Iowa.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Iowa City area's unemployment rate was 2.7% in 2025 (all workers, not just construction supervisors), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 3.4% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Iowa City area is 18 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 6% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 67% drive alone, 4% take transit and 12% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Iowa City area's population grew 4.0% from 2020 to 2025 (175,607 → 182,711), ranking #125 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +3,102) account for part of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Iowa City
The Iowa City area has about 80,274 homes. 35% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is newer than most; 21% were built in 2010 or later. 63% of households own their home, and the median home value is $315,200.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Iowa City are up 8% from 2021 to 2025 (1,167 → 1,266).
In 2025 the Iowa City area approved permits for 1,266 new homes (526 single-family), or 7.1 per 1,000 residents, ranking #78 of 393 metros, among the busiest building markets in the country.
Working outdoors in Iowa City Government data
In an average year, Iowa City has 19 days at 90°F or hotter (fewer than most metros; typical metro 33), 135 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 63 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 84°F and winter nights 18°F. That matters for construction supervisors: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Iowa City Muni Airport, IA station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $75,380 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. 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 construction supervisor pricing & estimate templates →Compare Iowa City with another city →
Keep exploring
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ToolBest cities for construction supervisorsRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in Iowa CitySee where it falls among local construction supervisors, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolIowa City budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Iowa City metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank Iowa City against every other metro for construction supervisors. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.
Report a data issue on this page
The Census doesn't publish one-person business or competition figures for construction supervisors as a separate industry, so that section is left out.