Highest and lowest paying education jobs in Iowa City

Whether you picture hard-working teachers buying school supplies for their students or genius professors shaping future leaders, it's fair to say education encompasses a wide variety of jobs. So much so that there's room to specialize and pursue your passion.

Historically, teachers' pay is a rather contentious topic. The average teacher salary is about $2,000 less than a decade ago after adjusting for inflation. Despite this, many of these jobs are rewarding in more ways than one. In other words, education can be very lucrative—particularly within specialty fields.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest and lowest paying education jobs in Iowa City, IA using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2021 annual mean wage. Keep reading to discover the highest and lowest paying education jobs in your city.

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#18. Preschool teachers, except special education

Iowa City, IA
- Annual mean salary: $28,320
- #450 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380

National
- Annual mean salary: $36,460
- Employment: 391,670
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($49,990)
--- Ocean City, NJ ($49,720)
--- Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ ($49,560)

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#17. Teaching assistants, except postsecondary

Iowa City, IA
- Annual mean salary: $28,880
- #243 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,190

National
- Annual mean salary: $31,760
- Employment: 1,187,270
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($46,390)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($45,080)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($42,820)

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#16. Self-enrichment teachers

Iowa City, IA
- Annual mean salary: $38,000
- #286 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130

National
- Annual mean salary: $49,230
- Employment: 216,910
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($70,350)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($66,650)
--- Utica-Rome, NY ($63,470)

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#15. Substitute teachers, short-term

Iowa City, IA
- Annual mean salary: $46,910
- #30 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 390

National
- Annual mean salary: $38,410
- Employment: 374,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Prescott, AZ ($64,310)
--- Appleton, WI ($63,310)
--- Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL ($58,770)

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#14. Kindergarten teachers, except special education

Iowa City, IA
- Annual mean salary: $47,050
- #364 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $64,490
- Employment: 120,730
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($95,420)
--- Kingston, NY ($92,160)
--- Salinas, CA ($90,490)

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#13. Library technicians

Iowa City, IA
- Annual mean salary: $55,280
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120

National
- Annual mean salary: $39,070
- Employment: 73,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Olympia-Tumwater, WA ($61,740)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($59,950)
--- Napa, CA ($57,890)

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#12. Adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors

Iowa City, IA
- Annual mean salary: $56,490
- #81 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $60,650
- Employment: 38,260
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($96,640)
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($92,290)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($89,740)

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#11. Special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school

Iowa City, IA
- Annual mean salary: $56,560
- #245 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80

National
- Annual mean salary: $67,090
- Employment: 187,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($102,210)
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($92,730)
--- Chico, CA ($88,430)

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#10. Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education

Iowa City, IA
- Annual mean salary: $58,700
- #235 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320

National
- Annual mean salary: $66,880
- Employment: 592,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bakersfield, CA ($109,060)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($107,280)
--- Yuba City, CA ($94,480)

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#9. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education

Iowa City, IA
- Annual mean salary: $59,990
- #250 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 660

National
- Annual mean salary: $69,530
- Employment: 1,020,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($104,010)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($101,980)
--- Bakersfield, CA ($97,490)

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#8. Elementary school teachers, except special education

Iowa City, IA
- Annual mean salary: $60,410
- #208 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 630

National
- Annual mean salary: $67,080
- Employment: 1,329,280
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($92,860)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($91,430)
--- Salinas, CA ($91,280)

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#7. Special education teachers, middle school

Iowa City, IA
- Annual mean salary: $61,900
- #124 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

National
- Annual mean salary: $68,860
- Employment: 79,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($117,940)
--- Worcester, MA-CT ($94,630)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($94,140)

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#6. Librarians and media collections specialists

Iowa City, IA
- Annual mean salary: $68,760
- #61 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170

National
- Annual mean salary: $64,180
- Employment: 127,790
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($94,230)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($89,990)
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($89,220)

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#5. Instructional coordinators

Iowa City, IA
- Annual mean salary: $75,040
- #75 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270

National
- Annual mean salary: $70,560
- Employment: 184,740
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salem, OR ($93,890)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($93,760)
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($91,430)

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#4. Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary

Iowa City, IA
- Annual mean salary: $80,730
- #70 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

National
- Annual mean salary: $87,980
- Employment: 44,140
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($157,340)
--- Visalia-Porterville, CA ($149,220)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($138,090)

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#3. Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary

Iowa City, IA
- Annual mean salary: $84,310
- #52 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100

National
- Annual mean salary: $82,040
- Employment: 68,060
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Visalia-Porterville, CA ($146,700)
--- Charlottesville, VA ($109,450)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($109,310)

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#2. Psychology teachers, postsecondary

Iowa City, IA
- Annual mean salary: $131,770
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $88,390
- Employment: 36,060
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($141,130)
--- Iowa City, IA ($131,770)
--- Ann Arbor, MI ($117,020)

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#1. Health specialties teachers, postsecondary

Iowa City, IA
- Annual mean salary: $173,890
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,750

National
- Annual mean salary: $133,310
- Employment: 191,830
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($226,440)
--- Jackson, MS ($202,690)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($183,250)