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School district · Iowa · LEAID 1930480

Waterloo Comm School District

Waterloo Comm School District is in the largest third by enrollment among comparable Iowa districts (10,527 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Waterloo Comm School District come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$67,821
Est. avg teacher salary

Above benchmark

$17,702
Per-pupil spending
10,527
Students enrolled
75th
Pct. in IA
$67,821

Waterloo Comm School District is in the largest third by enrollment among comparable Iowa districts (10,527 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $67,821, near the national average of $70,245, serving 10,527 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Large enrollment scale: Waterloo Comm School District is in the largest third by enrollment among comparable Iowa districts (10,527 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 75th percentile for Iowa
  • 54th percentile nationally
  • 34% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Iowa ranks #30 of 49 on the salary estimate and #29 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Waterloo Comm School District ranks #75 of 303 Iowa districts by estimated teacher salary and #87 of 303 by per-pupil spending. Linn-Mar Comm School District pay #1 at $82,552 is not Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Comm School District spending #1 at $59,531 per pupil
  • +12.4% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs Iowa median

Among 327 Iowa districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Waterloo Comm School District's instructional payroll puts 18.8% into special education , 6.2 points above the state median of 12.6%. That heavier special-education share usually means more of the teacher-salary pool is tied to IEP-driven staffing than at a typical Iowa peer.

Program Waterloo Comm IA median Gap
Regular program 64.5% 68.8% -4.2 pp
Special education 18.8% 12.6% +6.2 pp
Vocational programs 3.7% 4.7% -1.0 pp
Other programs 13.0% 13.9% -0.9 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 327 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 1930480 · FY2023.

LEAID 1930480 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Waterloo Comm F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-ABOVE +7% vs state RANK-ST-MID P75 in state RANK-NAT-MID P54 national PPE-MID $18K/pupil ENR-LARGE 10.5K students INSTR-LOW 34% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Marshalltown FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $67,821 estimated average teacher salary · P75 in Iowa · P54 nationally · 34% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Marshalltown ($1est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Waterloo Comm

Salary neighbourhood · Waterloo Comm

Waterloo Comm already leads most of its in-state peer set; the chart plots it against the top and bottom pay poles for context (NCES F-33 FY2023, not a full state reprint).

est. salary
Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey As of FY2023
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Waterloo Comm

Waterloo Comm School District's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$67,821 Top 46% higher than 54% of 10,684 US districts

Show national distribution $30,000–$40,000: 155 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $40,000–$50,000: 1,360 US districts (13%). Below this entry. $50,000–$60,000: 2,382 US districts (22%). Below this entry. $60,000–$70,000: 2,402 US districts (22%). This entry sits in this band. $70,000–$80,000: 1,633 US districts (15%). Above this entry. $80,000–$90,000: 1,097 US districts (10%). Above this entry. $90,000–$100,000: 662 US districts (6%). Above this entry. $100,000–$110,000: 371 US districts (3%). Above this entry. $110,000–$120,000: 249 US districts (2%). Above this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 156 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $130,000–$140,000: 112 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $140,000–$150,000: 57 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $150,000–$160,000: 25 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $160,000–$170,000: 13 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $170,000–$180,000: 10 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $180,000–$190,000: 0 US districts (0%). Above this entry. This district $30,000 $190,000 every reliable-salary US district, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $10K-wide band; taller bars hold more US districts. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 · FY2023

What stands out about Waterloo Comm School District

  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +12.4% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing Iowa's statewide +9.0% by 3.4 points, a growth rate faster than 62% of the 324 Iowa districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$67,820.914

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Iowa price level
88.8 / 100

BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.

National-price equivalent
$76,402

+13% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Iowa run below the national average, so this salary has roughly the buying power of the national-price equivalent above. A district in a costlier state can advertise a larger nominal salary and still leave a teacher with less.

Regional price parity: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2023 all-items RPP by state. The adjustment applies a statewide index to a district figure, so it captures how Iowa compares nationally, not how this district compares with others in its own state. Compare every state on this basis.

How this salary figure is calculated
Full NCES reading for Waterloo Comm School District

What the Numbers Say About Waterloo Comm School District

Waterloo Comm School District is a mid-sized school district in Iowa, serving 10,527 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $17,702. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $67,821, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 1930480 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Iowa statewide average of $63,660, teacher pay in Waterloo Comm School District runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 6.5% gap, and near the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (3.5% differential). Among enrolling districts in Iowa, it pays more than 75% of them. Iowa itself ranks #30 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Waterloo Comm School District reports $186.3M in total expenditure against $189.9M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 34% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $33.7M, special-education teacher pay is $9.8M.

How does Waterloo Comm School District compare?

Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the Iowa average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.

Waterloo Comm School District $67,821
Des Moines Independent Comm School District $69,203
Iowa avg $63,660
National avg $70,245

Waterloo Comm School District pays -2.0% less than Des Moines Independent Comm School District · per-pupil $17,702 vs $18,580

Derived from NCES F-33 teacher salary expenditure (Z35-Z38) and CCD Staff Universe teacher FTE (FY2023); a small minority use the documented fallback. Unreliable service entities are excluded.

Data-derived comparison paths

Find comparable Iowa districts

On pay, Waterloo Comm School District sits closest to Marshalltown Comm School District; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Cedar Rapids Comm School District. These are not simply nearby districts: each group is selected from the same NCES FY2023 dataset using a matching salary or per-pupil-investment signal and a comparable enrollment range.

Closest on estimated pay
  1. Marshalltown Comm School District
  2. Storm Lake Comm School District
  3. North Scott Comm School District
  4. Urbandale Comm School District
  5. Davenport Comm School District
  6. Indianola Comm School District
  7. Des Moines Independent Comm School District
  8. Bettendorf Comm School District
  9. Fort Dodge Comm School District
  10. Dallas Center-Grimes Comm School District
  11. Clinton Comm School District
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Cedar Rapids Comm School District
  2. Newton Comm School District
  3. Mason City Comm School District
  4. Ottumwa Comm School District
  5. Des Moines Independent Comm School District
  6. Iowa City Comm School District
  7. Dubuque Comm School District
  8. Council Bluffs Comm School District
  9. Ames Comm School District
  10. Clear Creek Amana Comm School District
  11. Muscatine Comm School District

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Waterloo Comm School District's enrollment scale

Two out-of-state peer sets for Waterloo Comm School District: closest on enrollment (10,527 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($67,821 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood.

Similar enrollment

Nearest other districts by NCES student count (floored at ≥200).

Similar estimated salary

Nearest other districts by F-33-derived average teacher salary, distinct from the enrollment row.

Enrollment and salaries from NCES CCD F-33; estimated teacher pay can diverge widely at the same student count because of state funding, cost of living, and local bargaining.

Revenue & Expenditure

$189.9M
Total Revenue
$186.3M
Total Expenditure
$63.3M
Instruction Salaries
34% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$33.7M
Regular Program
$9.8M
Special Education
$2.0M
Vocational
$6.8M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Waterloo Comm School District: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 82% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 18% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Iowa Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Iowa districts belongs to Linn-Mar Comm School District at $82,552. Waterloo Comm School District places 71 of 237 comparably sized districts, squarely in the middle band the state average actually represents. Louisiana and Oklahoma are the states closest to Iowa on BEA's price parity, which makes them the fair comparison; against a costlier state this salary goes further than its number suggests.

View all Iowa districts →

Other Iowa Districts

Large-district sample from 302 Iowa peers with reliable NCES data; bar length shows pay magnitude within this slice.

Dallas Center-Grimes Comm School District
$65,952
3,747 students
Indianola Comm School District
$68,741
3,665 students
Western Dubuque Comm School District
$62,108
3,629 students
Fort Dodge Comm School District
$66,046
3,527 students
Mason City Comm School District
$74,761
3,526 students
Norwalk Comm School District
$63,994
3,508 students

This is a sample of 6 from 302 Iowa districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Waterloo Comm School District
What is the average teacher salary in Waterloo Comm School District?

The average teacher salary in Waterloo Comm School District is $67,821 (NCES CCD FY2023), from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by the district's reported teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey).

How does Waterloo Comm School District teacher pay compare to the Iowa average?

Waterloo Comm School District pays 6.5% more than the Iowa state average of $63,660. The district's average is $67,821.

How does Waterloo Comm School District teacher pay compare to the national average?

Waterloo Comm School District pays 3.5% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $67,821.

What is the per-pupil spending in Waterloo Comm School District?

Waterloo Comm School District spends approximately $17,702 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Waterloo Comm School District's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 34% of Waterloo Comm School District's total expenditure of $186.3M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Waterloo Comm School District
Disclaimer & data sources

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher

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Editorial standards & source notes

According to the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, PlainTeacher's figures are computed directly, no number is typed in by an editor. Waterloo Comm School District's salary and finance figures are computed directly from its FY2023 F-33 submission, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of FY2023.