Salary data is based on the Ames, IA metropolitan area and applied to Council Bluffs using local cost-of-living adjustments.

Roustabouts Salaries in Council Bluffs, IA

Average Base Pay

$47,411/yr

5% below national average

Monthly

$3,951

Hourly

$23

Cost Index

Roustabouts in Council Bluffs, IA earn an average of $47,411 per year, with most salaries falling between $37,929 and $56,893 depending on experience, employer, and specialization. At 5% below the national average, Council Bluffs offers a more modest rate for this role, in part reflecting a local cost of living index of 77. For professionals evaluating a move or negotiating an offer, the headline salary is only part of the picture—what matters most is how far that income actually goes once taxes, rent, and daily expenses are factored in. The sections below break that down in full for Council Bluffs.

Salary Range

The chart below shows the full compensation spectrum for this role, from entry-level to senior positions. The highlighted center bars represent the 25th–75th percentile band where most professionals are paid.

$36K
Low

$47K
Median

$59K
High

25th percentile: $40K75th percentile: $55K

About Roustabouts

Chemical Engineers apply principles of chemistry, physics, biology, and mathematics to design and optimize processes that convert raw materials into valuable products—fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food, materials, and consumer goods. They design chemical reactors, separation processes, heat exchangers, and fluid handling systems, specifying equipment, writing process descriptions, and developing process flow diagrams and piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs). Process safety is a defining responsibility: chemical engineers apply hazard analysis techniques including HAZOP and FMEA to identify risks in processes involving flammable, toxic, or reactive materials and design safeguards to prevent accidents. In manufacturing, they optimize plant operations for yield, purity, energy efficiency, and waste minimization. In pharmaceuticals, they design and validate batch and continuous manufacturing processes for drug substances and drug products under GMP. In petroleum refining and petrochemicals, they manage complex continuous processes. Environmental compliance is a persistent concern—managing air and water emissions from chemical processes. The Professional Engineer (PE) license is important for engineers responsible for process safety decisions.

What Roustabouts Do

Design chemical processes including reactors, separations, and heat transfer systems
Develop process flow diagrams and P&IDs
Perform process simulation and material and energy balance calculations
Conduct hazard analysis (HAZOP) and develop process safety controls
Optimize plant operations for efficiency, yield, and cost
Develop and execute process scale-up studies
Troubleshoot process upsets and quality deviations
Prepare process safety information and environmental permit applications

Key Skills & Qualifications

Chemical process simulation using Aspen Plus or HYSYS
Process safety management and HAZOP facilitation
Mass and energy balance and unit operations
Process control fundamentals
GMP and pharmaceutical manufacturing knowledge (where applicable)
P&ID development and interpretation
PE licensure for process safety-critical roles
Statistical analysis for process optimization

Career Path

Chemical Engineer I / Process Engineer
Chemical Engineer II
Senior Chemical Engineer
Principal Engineer / Process Safety Lead
Director of Process Engineering

Roustabouts Market in Council Bluffs, IA

Salary Competitiveness

Council Bluffs currently pays 5% below the national median for Roustabouts. This gap can reflect a lower regional cost base, thinner employer density, or a surplus of qualified candidates relative to open roles—factors worth factoring into any offer negotiation or relocation calculation.

Cost of Living Impact

Council Bluffs's cost of living runs below the national average, which works in favor of this salary. Essential monthly expenses account for approximately 69% of take-home pay—a ratio that leaves meaningful room for savings, debt reduction, and discretionary spending compared with higher-cost metros.

Effective Purchasing Power

The purchasing power of $47,411 for a Roustabouts in Council Bluffs is moderate: enough to meet essential expenses and build incremental savings, but requiring deliberate budgeting to avoid margin erosion—especially as rent and healthcare costs have outpaced wage growth across many mid-tier markets.

vs. National Avg

-5%

Cost Pressure

69%

Purchasing Power

Moderate

Take-Home Pay Calculator

Enter any gross salary to see how federal and state taxes affect your actual take-home pay, broken down by year, month, and week. Results use an estimated effective tax rate of 27% based on this location and income level.

Annual Salary

Take-home (73%)Taxes (27%)

Annual Net

$34,610

Monthly

$2,884

Weekly

$666

Eff. Tax Rate

27%

A gross salary of $47,411 for a Roustabouts in Council Bluffs translates to roughly $2,884 in monthly take-home pay after estimated federal and state taxes. Set against monthly living costs of $1,993—covering housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare—that leaves approximately $891 per month in disposable income. That margin, not the gross number, is what determines whether you can comfortably cover rent, build savings, and afford discretionary spending in Council Bluffs's current market.

How far does this salary go in Council Bluffs?

Cost of Living in Council Bluffs

Estimated monthly expenses for a single person in Council Bluffs, benchmarked against US regional price indices for housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare.

Cost Index

Below Avg — US average is 100. Based on a single person (1-bed apartment).

🏠Housing / Rent$1,147/mo

🍔Food & Groceries$382/mo

🚗Transportation$103/mo

💡Utilities$134/mo

🏥Healthcare$227/mo

Monthly$1,993

Annual$23,916

Disposable Income$891

Financial Reality Check

This section compares estimated monthly take-home pay against typical living costs in Council Bluffs to show your real disposable income—the amount remaining after essential bills are paid each month.

Monthly Take-Home

$2,884

Living Costs

$1,993

Disposable

$891

Cost Index

Lifestyle

Tight

With a monthly take-home of $2,884, your estimated living costs in Council Bluffs are $1,993 ($23,916/yr). This leaves $891 per month in disposable income, indicating a tight standard of living. Council Bluffs's cost of living is 23% below the national average.

Overall, a Roustabouts earning $47,411 in Council Bluffs falls into a tight lifestyle tier and will need to budget carefully—essential costs consume a significant share of take-home pay, leaving limited room for savings or emergencies. With a cost index of 77, Council Bluffs is 23% more affordable than the national average, which extends your purchasing power. Regardless of tier, prioritizing retirement contributions, an emergency fund of three to six months' expenses, and incremental debt reduction will yield the greatest long-term financial stability—especially as living costs in Council Bluffs continue to evolve.