Amusement and Recreation Attendants in Iowa
May 2025 wages · tax year 2026
You keep
$23,768
after federal, FICA and Iowa tax
Tax takes
$3,662
13.4% of the whole
Worth, in national money
$26,776
Iowa costs less than average
On that salary you would be around the 25th percentile for this work in Iowa — roughly, since only five points along the band are published.
One filer, standard deduction, no dependants and nothing paid in before tax — the same household the rest of this page uses, so the comparison holds. City and school-district income taxes are not included.
Median here
$27,430
Kept after tax
$23,768
Worth in national money
$26,776
State rank
38
of 51 states
What this pays, and what it is worth
- Iowa is among the lower-paying states for this job. The middle earner takes $27,430, ranking 38 of 51 states — about 14.68% below the national middle. Costs here are often lower too, which the figures further down account for.
- Measured against other jobs in Iowa, this one sits low: 488 of 493 occupations with published pay, in the bottom quarter.
- Here is where Iowa does better than its wage suggests. From a median of $27,430 you keep $23,768, and because things cost less here than the national average, that behaves like $26,776 would elsewhere. The average is lower, $27,330, so pay clusters nearer the top than usual.
- Iowa ranks 38 of 51 for amusement and recreation attendants, with a median of $27,430 — about 14.68% below the national figure. A nominal shortfall is not by itself a real one: lower-paying states frequently carry lower tax and lower price levels, and the adjusted figures below are where that is settled rather than assumed.
- Amusement and recreation attendants occupies position 488 of 493 in Iowa's occupational wage distribution, in the bottom quartile. National ranking and local ranking answer different questions and frequently disagree; this is the one a resident experiences.
- After federal, FICA and Iowa income tax, retained pay for amusement and recreation attendants on $27,430 is $23,768. Deflating by the state's price level — below the national average — gives $26,776 in national-average terms. ⚠️ That figure is purchasing power, not a wage, and nobody is paid it; it is what the take-home buys. The mean of $27,330 falls below the median, a left skew that is uncommon in wage data.
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Pay band: Amusement and Recreation Attendants
The state median for this job
| Lowest tenth earn under | $21,340 |
|---|---|
| Half earn under | $27,430 |
| Top tenth earn over | $34,750 |
| This salary | $27,430 |
Positions between the published tenth, quarter, half, three-quarter and ninetieth points are estimated by straight line.
The same pay, somewhere else
The state median for this job
| Take-home in Iowa | $23,768 |
|---|---|
| Take-home in Texas | $24,199 |
| Once local prices are leveledBEA price parity | −$1,874 |
The raise and the real gain point in opposite directions here.
State income tax and state price levels only. No city income tax, and no housing market.
What you would need there
The state median for this job
| To match take-home only | $26,907 |
|---|---|
| Raise you would need | +$2,239 |
| Prices in Texas | 97 vs 89 |
State taxes and state price levels only. No city tax, and no housing market.
Sources and assumptions
- Treat $27,430 as a midpoint for Iowa, not a promise. The tenth percentile is $21,340 and the ninetieth is $34,750 — a wide band, and where you land in it depends on far more than the state.
- In Iowa the take-home figure of $23,768, from $27,430, assumes one filer, no dependants, and nothing paid into a pension before tax. Each of those lowers the bill, so treat it as the plain case. City and school-district income taxes are not included either, and in a few states those are real money. It ranks 488 of 493 occupations here.
- The wage data and the price data come from different years. That is how each is published. The price adjustment behind $26,776 uses one figure for the whole of Iowa. A city and a rural county there can differ by more than two states do. Out of 493 occupations the state publishes, this one sits at 488.
- The Iowa median of $27,430 describes the midpoint of a distribution spanning $21,340 to $34,750. Because that spread is typically larger than the interstate spread, a state median is a weak predictor for any individual worker in this occupation.
- Take-home for Iowa is computed for a single filer taking the standard deduction with no dependants and no pre-tax contributions, giving $23,768 from $27,430. Each omitted item reduces taxable income, so the figure is a lower bound on retained pay for this household shape. Municipal and school-district income taxes are excluded, which understates the burden materially in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland. The occupation ranks 488 of 493 locally.
- Wage and price series carry different reference periods, each published on its own schedule. The real-terms figure of $26,776, worked from $27,430, deflates by a statewide parity that conceals substantial intra-state variation, concentrated in housing — so it supports comparison between states rather than the pricing of a move to a particular Iowa address, on work sitting at 488 of 493 locally.
Questions people ask
How much does pay for this job actually vary?
The range here is narrow. From $21,340 at the bottom tenth to $34,750 at the top, pay for this work clusters rather than spreads.
What does this pay actually buy where I live?
Further than the number implies. Iowa is cheaper than the national average, so this take-home behaves like $26,776 in national terms.
Where does the difference between the wage and my paycheck go?
Three of them are federal and one is not. After income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Iowa's own levy, $23,768 remains.
Can I compare this job across every state?
Yes for this one. Pay is published in all 51 jurisdictions, so a state-to-state comparison here rests on the same survey everywhere rather than on a patchwork.
What is the dispersion of this occupation's wage distribution?
The tenth-to-ninetieth percentile span ($21,340 to $34,750) sits at or below the family's median dispersion, indicating relatively standardized compensation. Percentiles are published per state, so this dispersion is specific to Iowa rather than a national figure.
What is this occupation's price-adjusted compensation in this state?
Iowa's regional price parity is at or below the national average, so nominal wages understate purchasing power. Take-home deflated by the state price level is $26,776 in national-average terms. The adjustment uses an all-items index and does not isolate housing.
What accounts for the gap between gross wage and take-home here?
Take-home of $23,768 reflects federal income tax, OASDI, Medicare and Iowa income tax for a single filer with no adjustments. The state layer is levied in addition to the federal one; only its rate and base differ between states.
Is this occupation's state coverage complete?
State-level estimates are published for all 51 jurisdictions for this occupation, so cross-state comparison is not confounded by suppression. ⚠️ Estimates remain survey-based and carry sampling error; small differences between adjacent states should not be over-read.