Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
Madison, WI Average Salary 2026
Cost of living, occupation-by-occupation pay, and percentile ranges from official BLS data.
The average salary in Madison, WI, Wisconsin is $107,138 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (2025 reference period) covering 63 occupations and roughly 86,440 workers. Adjusted for Madison, WI's cost-of-living index of 103.8, that nominal average translates to $103,216 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. The highest-paying tracked occupation is Family Medicine Physician at $291,000; the lowest is Clinical Laboratory Technologist at $59,090.
Madison, WI, WI sits near the national cost-of-living baseline (index 103.8). 63 occupations are reported here with median wages averaging $107,138.
Highest-paying role in Madison, WI on BLS data is Family Medicine Physician at $291,000 median. Top-paying roles in any U.S. city skew toward physicians, executives, tech specialists, and licensed professionals; the specific ranking varies with the local industry mix. Cities at the national cost-of-living baseline are useful reference points for cross-region comparisons — the gross wage and adjusted wage are roughly equivalent, so headline comparisons work.
Salaries by Occupation in Madison, WI
| Role | Category | Median | Range (10th–90th) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $291,000 | $114,400 – $360,140 | 160 |
| Obstetrician/Gynecologist | Healthcare | $227,650 | $77,570 – $419,420 | 80 |
| Dentist | Healthcare | $176,460 | $126,510 – $305,240 | 270 |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $168,900 | $98,520 – $275,690 | 2,540 |
| Pharmacist | Healthcare | $158,120 | $112,140 – $169,980 | 1,120 |
| Financial Manager | Finance | $148,970 | $83,830 – $253,800 | 2,320 |
| Sales Manager | Management | $146,380 | $78,740 – $247,270 | 1,660 |
| Human Resources Manager | Management | $140,680 | $92,950 – $206,920 | 660 |
| Marketing Manager | Management | $138,270 | $94,470 – $204,410 | 1,000 |
| Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $137,060 | $78,770 – $332,780 | 270 |
| Computer Network Architect | Technology | $135,490 | $87,710 – $187,280 | 340 |
| Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $133,950 | $57,980 – $164,900 | 490 |
| Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $133,080 | $108,360 – $167,330 | 530 |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $131,640 | $96,110 – $224,390 | 1,220 |
| Software Developer | Technology | $130,630 | $82,790 – $171,290 | 6,720 |
| Optometrist | Healthcare | $128,220 | $102,200 – $196,680 | 100 |
| General and Operations Manager | Management | $126,620 | $63,380 – $257,480 | 5,130 |
| Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $126,000 | $52,490 – $507,290 | 590 |
| Lawyer | Legal | $124,130 | $77,040 – $365,510 | 1,860 |
| Veterinarian | Healthcare | $115,210 | $82,080 – $161,870 | 420 |
| Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $110,360 | $86,260 – $150,970 | 230 |
| Statistician | Technology | $107,860 | $81,150 – $155,880 | 110 |
| Database Architect | Technology | $105,680 | $67,470 – $132,910 | 410 |
| Audiologist | Healthcare | $105,160 | $53,250 – $131,750 | 40 |
| Information Security Analyst | Technology | $104,110 | $69,070 – $163,380 | 410 |
| Financial Analyst | Finance | $103,750 | $63,150 – $182,480 | 1,010 |
| Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $102,810 | $80,340 – $123,220 | 900 |
| Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $102,420 | $77,860 – $155,490 | 500 |
| Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $101,190 | $81,760 – $123,240 | 10,650 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $100,550 | $66,700 – $132,180 | 2,140 |
| Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $100,370 | $74,190 – $155,350 | 1,510 |
| Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $100,340 | $83,660 – $105,440 | 680 |
| Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $99,680 | $76,040 – $133,820 | 770 |
| Architect | Engineering | $99,210 | $68,860 – $142,710 | 310 |
| Civil Engineer | Engineering | $99,010 | $72,980 – $134,040 | 1,530 |
| Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $97,950 | $64,480 – $133,450 | 1,460 |
| Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $97,840 | $64,080 – $165,290 | 1,470 |
| Computer Programmer | Technology | $97,410 | $64,860 – $163,490 | 280 |
| Management Analyst | Management | $97,170 | $65,000 – $163,280 | 3,240 |
| Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $95,670 | $74,480 – $115,610 | 610 |
| Network Architect | Technology | $91,580 | $61,370 – $131,890 | 1,230 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $90,400 | $65,330 – $110,660 | 460 |
| Financial Examiner | Finance | $88,920 | $72,610 – $133,450 | 140 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $86,890 | $64,740 – $119,430 | 410 |
| Plumber | Trades | $85,160 | $48,310 – $123,270 | 1,590 |
| Web Designer | Technology | $83,500 | $51,480 – $128,660 | 230 |
| Accountant | Finance | $81,130 | $60,770 – $122,930 | 4,440 |
| Web Developer | Technology | $81,080 | $57,800 – $121,140 | 200 |
| Loan Officer | Finance | $78,840 | $51,290 – $155,840 | 650 |
| Electrician | Trades | $78,430 | $45,050 – $102,860 | 1,760 |
| Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $75,650 | $51,360 – $117,990 | 880 |
| Pediatrician | Healthcare | $75,590 | $75,590 – $327,540 | 100 |
| Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $73,510 | $49,440 – $108,620 | 1,410 |
| Writer/Author | Creative | $68,760 | $49,570 – $98,330 | 150 |
| Market Research Analyst | Management | $67,990 | $43,560 – $121,480 | 2,640 |
| Secondary School Teacher | Education | $64,080 | $49,890 – $80,190 | 1,940 |
| Graphic Designer | Creative | $63,970 | $45,190 – $94,730 | 700 |
| Elementary School Teacher | Education | $63,690 | $51,340 – $100,420 | 3,530 |
| Carpenter | Trades | $63,480 | $46,670 – $92,430 | 2,320 |
| Paralegal | Legal | $60,800 | $47,520 – $82,770 | 850 |
| Automotive Technician | Trades | $60,650 | $37,440 – $81,490 | 1,270 |
| Welder | Trades | $59,530 | $45,140 – $71,270 | 1,010 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $59,090 | $47,360 – $83,140 | 2,790 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The single highest-paying occupation tracked in Madison, WI is Family Medicine Physician, with a median of $291,000 and a 90th-percentile reading of $360,140. That $245,740 spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles is typical for a role of this seniority — entry-level workers cluster near the bottom of the band, while senior specialists and managers earn at the top.
Across all 63 BLS-tracked occupations in Madison, WI, the average median salary is $107,138. The top five roles average $204,426 — about 1.9× the citywide average — which is the expected shape for a U.S. metro economy: a small concentration of high-skill, high-credential occupations sits well above the broader middle.
Madison, WI sits close to the U.S. average on cost of living (index 103.8). Headline salary numbers translate roughly one-for-one into purchasing power — useful as a national benchmark city when comparing offers across markets.
Salary Negotiation in Madison, WI
For salary negotiation in Madison, WI, the practical input is the percentile band for your role and city, not the citywide average. The OEWS publishes 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile wages for every metro and occupation; you can find your role's exact percentile in the table above and use the SalaryTruth percentile calculator to anchor your offer. Cost-of-living index 103.8 should also factor in any cross-metro comparison.
For city-vs-city moves, the right benchmark is COL-adjusted pay rather than nominal pay. Our COL-adjusted salaries guide shows the exact math; the negotiation playbook covers how to use BLS percentile bands to anchor offers.
How Madison, WI Salary Data Is Built
Wages on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — a federal survey of more than 1.2 million U.S. establishments, published once per year by Metropolitan Statistical Area and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. We pull the BLS data file for Madison, WI, match each occupation against our role catalog, and surface percentile wages alongside employment counts. The cost-of-living index (103.8) is a composite of housing, food, transportation, and utility data from public sources, calibrated to a U.S. national average of 100. Read the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average salary in Madison, WI in 2026?
The average salary in Madison, WI is $107,138 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release covering 63 occupations. The mean (employment-weighted average) gives slightly more weight to large occupations; the median across roles is also close to $107,138. The top-paying role is Family Medicine Physician at $291,000.
Is $100,000 a good salary in Madison, WI?
In Madison, WI, $100,000 has the purchasing power of $96,339 in an average-cost U.S. metro (COL index 103.8). That is roughly in line with what $100K buys in a typical U.S. city. Compared to the city's average median of $107,138, $100K is below the typical worker.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Madison, WI?
The top-paying tracked occupations in Madison, WI are Family Medicine Physician ($291,000), Obstetrician/Gynecologist ($227,650), Dentist ($176,460), and Computer and Information Systems Manager ($168,900). Across the top 10, median salaries range from $137,060 to $291,000. See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/madison.
How does Madison, WI's cost of living affect salaries?
Madison, WI has a cost-of-living index of 103.8, 4% above the U.S. national average. A nominal salary of $107,138 in this metro has the equivalent purchasing power of $103,216 in an average-cost U.S. city. Housing is the dominant driver of this gap; in higher-COL markets, mortgage or rent typically eats 5–15 percentage points more of pre-tax pay than in average-cost metros.
How many people are employed in Madison, WI?
Across the 63 BLS-tracked occupations on this page, total employment in the Madison, WI metro is approximately 86,440. BLS OEWS sample-based estimates cover all major occupational categories but exclude very small or volatile fields where the sample is too thin to publish.
Where does this Madison, WI salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal survey data covering about 1.2 million U.S. employers. The same data is used by the U.S. Department of Labor for prevailing wage determinations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Madison, WI MSA, 2026 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2026."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 63 occupations · COL Index 103.8.