SOC 43-5071 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks — Waterloo
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA · 7 metro areas compared
The median wage for Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks in Waterloo, IA is $46,950 per year, close to the national median of $45,260 for the same occupation.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -7.7%
- Openings per year
- 69,300
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage for Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks in Waterloo, IA is $46,950 per year, close to the national median of $45,260 for the same occupation. Half of workers earn between $37,250 and $55,200. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $32,660 and the ninetieth at $62,500.
Employment stands at 330, or 3.9 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, Dubuque records the highest median at $48,690. Of the 309 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 203rd.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $32,660 | −27.8% |
| 25th | $37,250 | −17.7% |
| Median (50th) | $46,950 | +3.7% |
| 75th | $55,200 | +22.0% |
| 90th | $62,500 | +38.1% |
| Mean | $47,250 | +4.4% |
Other metro areas in Iowa
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dubuque | $48,690 | 280 | |
| 2 | Sioux City | $48,270 | 460 | |
| 3 | Ames | $47,840 | 210 | |
| 4 | Cedar Rapids | $47,690 | 630 | |
| 5 | Des Moines | $47,300 | 1,400 | |
| 6 | Iowa City | $46,990 | 320 | |
| 7 | Davenport | $46,260 | 860 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Waterloo run 12.9% below the national average, so the median of $46,950 goes as far as $53,904 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 19.1% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$46,950as reported by BLSLocal price level
87.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$53,904US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $46,950 a year, 3.7% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $32,660 to $62,500 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 330 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Dubuque, at $48,690.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks in Waterloo, IA?
The median annual wage is $46,950, or $22.57 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $45,260, so pay in Waterloo, IA is 3.7% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Waterloo, IA earns more than $62,500 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $32,660 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Dubuque, at $48,690 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 330 jobs in this occupation in Waterloo, IA. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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