Industrial Machinery Mechanics in the Waterloo area earn a median of $77,850 a year, 22% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #27 of 388 metros for industrial machinery mechanics nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays less in Cedar Rapids.
It's one of 8 Iowa metros with published pay for this trade; see industrial machinery mechanic pay in Iowa.
Industrial Machinery Mechanic pay in Waterloo at a glance
- Industrial machinery mechanics in the Waterloo, IA metro earn a median $77,850 a year ($37.43 an hour), #27 of 388 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $51,210 and $79,350.
- After local prices, that median buys what $89,424 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $830 a month, 13% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
Check your pay here
Enter a rate to see where it falls among industrial machinery mechanics in Waterloo.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for industrial machinery mechanics here is in the top 20% of U.S. metros, and also in the top 20% 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 20 one-person industrial machinery repair businesses averaging $127,550 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $91/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Waterloo scorecard for industrial machinery 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 ($63,865).
Pay over time
The median pay for industrial machinery mechanics in the Waterloo area went from $51,700 in 2020 to $77,850 in 2025, up 50.6%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's +20.1% — 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 Waterloo run 13% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $89,424 would in a typical place, ranking #8 of 382 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 cost-of-living budget for Waterloo from this pay, local rent and prices.
What industrial machinery mechanics do
Repair, install, adjust, or maintain industrial production and processing machinery or refinery and pipeline distribution systems. May also install, dismantle, or move machinery and heavy equipment according to plans.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Repair or maintain the operating condition of industrial production or processing machinery or equipment.
- Repair or replace broken or malfunctioning components of machinery or equipment.
- Clean, lubricate, or adjust parts, equipment, or machinery.
- Disassemble machinery or equipment to remove parts and make repairs.
- Reassemble equipment after completion of inspections, testing, or repairs.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, industrial machinery mechanic jobs are projected to grow 17.8% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 44,400 openings a year. About 1% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often industrial machinery 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 industrial machinery mechanics.
Official Iowa licensing site ↗
Requirements for industrial machinery mechanics vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, industrial machinery mechanics have 54 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 38% below 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 industrial machinery mechanics
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| WaterlooIOWA · IA | $77,850 | $89,424 | 510 |
| Cedar RapidsIOWA · IA | $73,800 | $82,956 | 530 |
| DavenportIOWA · IA | $72,790 | $81,714 | 750 |
| Sioux CityIOWA · IA | $68,940 | $79,742 | 350 |
| AmesIOWA · IA | $67,250 | $75,706 | 150 |
| DubuqueIOWA · IA | $65,480 | $74,982 | 160 |
| Des MoinesIOWA · IA | $63,590 | $69,345 | 750 |
| Iowa CityIOWA · IA | $63,490 | $69,381 | 110 |
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 industrial machinery 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 20 one-person businesses (no employees) in industrial machinery repair, averaging $127,550 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Waterloo compares among the best cities to start an industrial machinery mechanic business.
They compete with 29 industrial machinery repair companies that have employees (about 255 workers in total). 41% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $77,850 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 industrial machinery mechanic pricing & estimate templates →Compare Waterloo with another city →
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ToolBest cities for industrial machinery mechanicsRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in WaterlooSee where it falls among local industrial machinery mechanics, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolWaterloo budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Waterloo 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 Waterloo against every other metro for industrial machinery mechanics. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.