Home / Wages / Madison Madison salaries The median worker in the Madison, WI metro area earned $54,620 a year in 2024, about $26.26 an hour. That ranks #38 of the 391 metro areas published here, 10.3% above the national median.
Wisconsin
Median pay $54,620 $26.26 per hour
Vs national +10.3% U.S. $49,500
Workers 405,450 wage and salary
Metro rank #38 of 391 by median pay
What this labour market looks like Madison pays 11.6% more than Wisconsin as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.
Unusually concentrated here Occupations against their national share, 2024 Occupation Concentration Employed Median Farm and Home Management Educators 24.19× 650 $58,640 Biological Technicians 6.56× 1,310 $49,630 Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary 5.82× 2,370 $46,050 Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters 4.82× 680 $56,670 Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary 3.95× 2,390 $82,060 Operations Research Analysts 3.79× 1,070 $78,620 Chemists 3.79× 830 $73,920 Insurance Underwriters 3.16× 890 $77,940 Food Batchmakers 3.1× 1,400 $47,440 Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians 2.8× 2,530 $64,040 Phlebotomists 2.75× 1,000 $46,410 Psychiatric Technicians 2.67× 960 $62,130
Best paid occupations Highest median pay in Madison Occupation Median Hourly Employed General Internal Medicine Physicians $229,020 $110.10 240 Chief Executives $228,960 $110.08 560 Dentists, General $210,870 $101.38 290 Architectural and Engineering Managers $161,170 $77.48 850 Sales Managers $151,610 $72.89 1,360 Financial Managers $149,180 $71.72 2,010 Pharmacists $143,940 $69.20 900 Computer and Information Systems Managers $138,010 $66.35 1,850 Medical and Health Services Managers $137,930 $66.31 1,220 Physician Assistants $136,990 $65.86 320 Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary $136,740 n/a 200 Human Resources Managers $136,600 $65.68 630 Nurse Practitioners $134,200 $64.52 460 Marketing Managers $133,460 $64.16 870 Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary $132,270 n/a 330 Natural Sciences Managers $131,560 $63.25 530 Business Teachers, Postsecondary $131,530 n/a 250 Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary $127,680 n/a 200 Construction Managers $125,010 $60.10 720 Personal Financial Advisors $123,840 $59.54 580 General and Operations Managers $123,460 $59.36 4,930 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $123,280 n/a 370 Industrial Production Managers $122,730 $59.01 810 Managers, All Other $120,970 $58.16 2,670 Clinical and Counseling Psychologists $119,310 $57.36 270 Computer Network Architects $116,590 $56.05 330 Facilities Managers $115,740 $55.65 210 First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $115,590 $55.57 200 Lawyers $114,420 $55.01 1,920 Veterinarians $112,960 $54.31 350 Administrative Services Managers $111,930 $53.81 1,210 Engineers, All Other $107,400 $51.63 230 Public Relations Managers $107,080 $51.48 260 Software Developers $104,670 $50.32 6,380 Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers $104,010 $50.01 440 Electrical Engineers $102,670 $49.36 580 First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers $102,380 $49.22 900 Financial and Investment Analysts $101,790 $48.94 960 Detectives and Criminal Investigators $101,690 $48.89 260 Physical Therapists $101,530 $48.81 830 Architects, Except Landscape and Naval $100,820 $48.47 350 Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters $99,450 $47.81 1,380 Information Security Analysts $98,850 $47.52 380 Data Scientists $98,510 $47.36 830 Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $98,370 $47.29 390 Industrial Engineers $98,360 $47.29 1,370 Labor Relations Specialists $98,300 $47.26 320 Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary $98,040 $47.14 220 Management Analysts $97,680 $46.96 3,350 Civil Engineers $96,910 $46.59 1,430 Mechanical Engineers $96,680 $46.48 1,070 Database Administrators $95,530 $45.93 410 Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary $95,210 n/a 230 Computer Occupations, All Other $94,370 $45.37 1,650 Dental Hygienists $92,270 $44.36 630 Project Management Specialists $92,170 $44.31 3,710 Computer Systems Analysts $92,020 $44.24 2,230 Registered Nurses $89,980 $43.26 9,990 Occupational Therapists $88,980 $42.78 580 Social and Community Service Managers $86,580 $41.63 470
Where most people work Largest occupations in Madison by employment Occupation Employed Median Hourly Registered Nurses 9,990 $89,980 $43.26 Retail Salespersons 8,800 $34,630 $16.65 Cashiers 8,670 $30,930 $14.87 Fast Food and Counter Workers 8,620 $29,920 $14.39 Customer Service Representatives 8,190 $46,340 $22.28 Home Health and Personal Care Aides 8,170 $35,970 $17.29 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 7,790 $41,740 $20.07 Software Developers 6,380 $104,670 $50.32 Office Clerks, General 6,380 $45,220 $21.74 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 5,950 $36,870 $17.72 Stockers and Order Fillers 5,710 $36,510 $17.55 Waiters and Waitresses 5,330 $30,520 $14.67 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 5,080 $50,340 $24.20 Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 5,070 $47,720 $22.94 General and Operations Managers 4,930 $123,460 $59.36 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 4,500 $51,530 $24.77 Accountants and Auditors 4,430 $80,490 $38.70 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 4,360 $57,870 $27.82 Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel 3,880 $63,990 $30.76 First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 3,740 $72,450 $34.83
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.
Other Wisconsin metro areas Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington 1,931,660 workers $57,640 Oshkosh-Neenah 93,760 workers $50,320 Milwaukee-Waukesha 819,450 workers $49,720 Fond du Lac 44,700 workers $49,590 Sheboygan 60,670 workers $49,300 Duluth 124,530 workers $48,610 Madison pay: common questions What is the average salary in Madison? The median across all occupations is $54,620 , or $26.26 an hour, covering 405,450 wage and salary workers. The mean is $67,700, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.
Does Madison pay more than the rest of Wisconsin? Yes. The metro median of $54,620 is 11.6% above the Wisconsin median of $48,930. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.
Which jobs pay best in Madison? General Internal Medicine Physicians ($229,020), Chief Executives ($228,960), Dentists, General ($210,870). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.
What is Madison unusually full of? Farm and Home Management Educators, at 24.19× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.