Home / Wages / Milwaukee-Waukesha Milwaukee-Waukesha salaries The median worker in the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area earned $49,720 a year in 2024, about $23.90 an hour. That ranks #88 of the 391 metro areas published here, 0.4% above the national median.
Wisconsin
Median pay $49,720 $23.90 per hour
Vs national +0.4% U.S. $49,500
Workers 819,450 wage and salary
Metro rank #88 of 391 by median pay
What this labour market looks like Milwaukee-Waukesha pays 1.6% 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.
Housing here moved +6.1% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +44.2% over five years. Pay and house prices rarely move together, and where they diverge for long the
affordability of an area changes even when nothing about the jobs does.
House prices in Milwaukee-Waukesha .
Unusually concentrated here Occupations against their national share, 2024 Occupation Concentration Employed Median Print Binding and Finishing Workers 7.07× 1,370 $39,430 Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers 3.8× 570 $64,500 Tool and Die Makers 3.62× 1,060 $67,500 Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators 3.46× 3,260 $57,710 Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers 3.05× 4,230 $46,090 Machinists 2.76× 4,380 $53,010 Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 2.76× 2,270 $40,650 Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 2.71× 1,010 $48,160 New Accounts Clerks 2.64× 530 $48,420 Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 2.58× 2,390 $48,240 Printing Press Operators 2.53× 1,950 $47,970 Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 2.4× 690 $74,330
Best paid occupations Highest median pay in Milwaukee-Waukesha Occupation Median Hourly Employed Physicians, All Other $218,460 $105.03 2,680 Dentists, General $181,400 $87.21 600 Computer and Information Systems Managers $160,460 $77.15 2,160 Commercial Pilots $158,330 n/a 300 Financial Managers $154,540 $74.30 4,690 Pharmacists $148,740 $71.51 1,590 Optometrists $142,380 $68.45 220 Architectural and Engineering Managers $141,030 $67.81 1,580 Sales Managers $140,990 $67.78 2,560 Education Administrators, Postsecondary $137,560 $66.13 340 Human Resources Managers $136,100 $65.43 1,100 Actuaries $134,230 $64.53 390 Physician Assistants $132,820 $63.86 1,230 Marketing Managers $131,390 $63.17 1,200 Lawyers $131,000 $62.98 3,610 Nurse Practitioners $129,760 $62.39 1,940 Medical and Health Services Managers $129,180 $62.11 1,750 Computer Network Architects $128,720 $61.88 730 Managers, All Other $126,190 $60.67 3,300 Sales Engineers $122,370 $58.83 440 Industrial Production Managers $121,530 $58.43 2,090 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $121,430 n/a 890 Personal Financial Advisors $121,220 $58.28 2,680 Purchasing Managers $121,130 $58.24 580 General and Operations Managers $118,790 $57.11 10,580 Training and Development Managers $117,900 $56.68 200 Construction Managers $111,300 $53.51 1,510 Clinical and Counseling Psychologists $110,910 $53.32 260 Administrative Services Managers $108,850 $52.33 1,540 Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers $108,840 $52.33 540 Public Relations Managers $108,330 $52.08 300 First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $108,130 $51.99 520 Psychologists, All Other $107,550 $51.71 380 Veterinarians $105,540 $50.74 390 Business Teachers, Postsecondary $105,270 n/a 380 Management Analysts $105,180 $50.57 3,090 Facilities Managers $104,990 $50.48 480 Software Developers $104,500 $50.24 5,710 School Psychologists $104,290 $50.14 540 Data Scientists $104,140 $50.07 1,220 Database Administrators $102,110 $49.09 350 Diagnostic Medical Sonographers $101,640 $48.87 530 Physical Therapists $101,620 $48.86 1,640 Computer Systems Analysts $101,180 $48.64 2,070 Electrical Engineers $101,000 $48.56 1,520 First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers $99,730 $47.95 1,930 Detectives and Criminal Investigators $98,970 $47.58 510 Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $98,910 $47.55 1,120 Information Security Analysts $98,810 $47.51 630 Industrial Engineers $97,960 $47.10 3,770 Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary $97,020 n/a 220 Project Management Specialists $96,650 $46.47 6,150 Mechanical Engineers $96,620 $46.45 2,540 Financial Risk Specialists $96,400 $46.35 250 Architects, Except Landscape and Naval $95,990 $46.15 500 Structural Iron and Steel Workers $93,370 $44.89 270 Civil Engineers $93,350 $44.88 2,360 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists $93,250 $44.83 220 Environmental Engineers $93,020 $44.72 220 Network and Computer Systems Administrators $92,730 $44.58 2,240
Where most people work Largest occupations in Milwaukee-Waukesha by employment Occupation Employed Median Hourly Home Health and Personal Care Aides 29,420 $32,930 $15.83 Registered Nurses 21,950 $83,990 $40.38 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 21,800 $42,040 $20.21 Retail Salespersons 18,360 $33,650 $16.18 Fast Food and Counter Workers 17,010 $28,210 $13.56 Cashiers 16,970 $29,430 $14.15 Customer Service Representatives 15,890 $47,180 $22.68 Office Clerks, General 14,900 $42,870 $20.61 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 12,750 $36,090 $17.35 Stockers and Order Fillers 11,680 $33,850 $16.27 Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 11,320 $44,840 $21.56 Waiters and Waitresses 11,170 $29,910 $14.38 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products 10,790 $71,410 $34.33 General and Operations Managers 10,580 $118,790 $57.11 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 9,990 $58,770 $28.26 Nursing Assistants 8,280 $44,370 $21.33 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 8,210 $47,840 $23.00 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 8,150 $52,130 $25.06 Receptionists and Information Clerks 8,110 $40,650 $19.54 Accountants and Auditors 7,750 $79,760 $38.35
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 Madison 405,450 workers $54,620 Oshkosh-Neenah 93,760 workers $50,320 Fond du Lac 44,700 workers $49,590 Sheboygan 60,670 workers $49,300 Duluth 124,530 workers $48,610 Milwaukee-Waukesha pay: common questions What is the average salary in Milwaukee-Waukesha? The median across all occupations is $49,720 , or $23.90 an hour, covering 819,450 wage and salary workers. The mean is $64,850, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.
Does Milwaukee-Waukesha pay more than the rest of Wisconsin? Yes. The metro median of $49,720 is 1.6% 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha? Physicians, All Other ($218,460), Dentists, General ($181,400), Computer and Information Systems Managers ($160,460). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.
What is Milwaukee-Waukesha unusually full of? Print Binding and Finishing Workers, at 7.07× 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.