Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
63 Highest Paying Jobs in Madison, WI (2026)
The highest-paying job in Madison, WI, Wisconsin is Family Medicine Physician with a median salary of $291,000 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data. Across all 63 tracked occupations the average median is $107,138, with 32 occupations paying a six-figure ($100K+) median. Madison, WI has a cost-of-living index of 103.8 (national average = 100), so a $107,138 nominal salary equals $103,216 in average-cost-metro buying power.
The 63 occupations below are ranked by median wage in Madison, WI, WI, from BLS OEWS data. Madison, WI's cost-of-living index runs 103.8 (national baseline = 100), which shapes the headline-wage interpretation. Top-paying occupations in any U.S. metro typically cluster around physicians, dentists, executives, tech specialists, and licensed professionals. The specific top of the list varies with local industry concentration: tech-heavy metros boost software-engineering ranks, finance-heavy metros boost banking ranks.
Each role on the ranking links to the per-role-and-city page with full percentile distribution (p10 to p90), employment count, and cost-adjusted wage. For workers comparing offers within Madison, WI, the percentile data is the most decision-relevant.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs in Madison, WI
Ranked by median (50th percentile) salary. The COL-Adjusted column rebases each nominal salary to Madison, WI's cost-of-living index of 103.8 so you can compare buying power against an average-cost U.S. metro.
Median $291,000 · 10th–90th $114,400–$360,140 · 160 jobs in metro
Family Medicine Physicians in Madison, WI earn $291,000 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $360,140.
Median $227,650 · 10th–90th $77,570–$419,420 · 80 jobs in metro
Obstetrician/Gynecologists in Madison, WI earn $227,650 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $419,420.
Median $176,460 · 10th–90th $126,510–$305,240 · 270 jobs in metro
Dentists in Madison, WI earn $176,460 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $305,240.
Median $168,900 · 10th–90th $98,520–$275,690 · 2,540 jobs in metro
Computer and Information Systems Managers in Madison, WI earn $168,900 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $275,690.
Median $158,120 · 10th–90th $112,140–$169,980 · 1,120 jobs in metro
Pharmacists in Madison, WI earn $158,120 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $169,980.
Median $148,970 · 10th–90th $83,830–$253,800 · 2,320 jobs in metro
Financial Managers in Madison, WI earn $148,970 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $253,800.
Median $146,380 · 10th–90th $78,740–$247,270 · 1,660 jobs in metro
Sales Managers in Madison, WI earn $146,380 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $247,270.
Median $140,680 · 10th–90th $92,950–$206,920 · 660 jobs in metro
Human Resources Managers in Madison, WI earn $140,680 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $206,920.
Median $138,270 · 10th–90th $94,470–$204,410 · 1,000 jobs in metro
Marketing Managers in Madison, WI earn $138,270 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $204,410.
Median $137,060 · 10th–90th $78,770–$332,780 · 270 jobs in metro
Business Professor (Postsecondary)s in Madison, WI earn $137,060 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $332,780.
Full Ranking (63 Occupations)
| Rank | Role | Category | Median | 10th–90th | COL-Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $291,000 | $114,400–$360,140 | $280,347 | 160 |
| 2 | Obstetrician/Gynecologist | Healthcare | $227,650 | $77,570–$419,420 | $219,316 | 80 |
| 3 | Dentist | Healthcare | $176,460 | $126,510–$305,240 | $170,000 | 270 |
| 4 | Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $168,900 | $98,520–$275,690 | $162,717 | 2,540 |
| 5 | Pharmacist | Healthcare | $158,120 | $112,140–$169,980 | $152,331 | 1,120 |
| 6 | Financial Manager | Finance | $148,970 | $83,830–$253,800 | $143,516 | 2,320 |
| 7 | Sales Manager | Management | $146,380 | $78,740–$247,270 | $141,021 | 1,660 |
| 8 | Human Resources Manager | Management | $140,680 | $92,950–$206,920 | $135,530 | 660 |
| 9 | Marketing Manager | Management | $138,270 | $94,470–$204,410 | $133,208 | 1,000 |
| 10 | Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $137,060 | $78,770–$332,780 | $132,042 | 270 |
| 11 | Computer Network Architect | Technology | $135,490 | $87,710–$187,280 | $130,530 | 340 |
| 12 | Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $133,950 | $57,980–$164,900 | $129,046 | 490 |
| 13 | Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $133,080 | $108,360–$167,330 | $128,208 | 530 |
| 14 | Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $131,640 | $96,110–$224,390 | $126,821 | 1,220 |
| 15 | Software Developer | Technology | $130,630 | $82,790–$171,290 | $125,848 | 6,720 |
| 16 | Optometrist | Healthcare | $128,220 | $102,200–$196,680 | $123,526 | 100 |
| 17 | General and Operations Manager | Management | $126,620 | $63,380–$257,480 | $121,985 | 5,130 |
| 18 | Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $126,000 | $52,490–$507,290 | $121,387 | 590 |
| 19 | Lawyer | Legal | $124,130 | $77,040–$365,510 | $119,586 | 1,860 |
| 20 | Veterinarian | Healthcare | $115,210 | $82,080–$161,870 | $110,992 | 420 |
| 21 | Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $110,360 | $86,260–$150,970 | $106,320 | 230 |
| 22 | Statistician | Technology | $107,860 | $81,150–$155,880 | $103,911 | 110 |
| 23 | Database Architect | Technology | $105,680 | $67,470–$132,910 | $101,811 | 410 |
| 24 | Audiologist | Healthcare | $105,160 | $53,250–$131,750 | $101,310 | 40 |
| 25 | Information Security Analyst | Technology | $104,110 | $69,070–$163,380 | $100,299 | 410 |
| 26 | Financial Analyst | Finance | $103,750 | $63,150–$182,480 | $99,952 | 1,010 |
| 27 | Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $102,810 | $80,340–$123,220 | $99,046 | 900 |
| 28 | Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $102,420 | $77,860–$155,490 | $98,671 | 500 |
| 29 | Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $101,190 | $81,760–$123,240 | $97,486 | 10,650 |
| 30 | Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $100,550 | $66,700–$132,180 | $96,869 | 2,140 |
| 31 | Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $100,370 | $74,190–$155,350 | $96,696 | 1,510 |
| 32 | Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $100,340 | $83,660–$105,440 | $96,667 | 680 |
| 33 | Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $99,680 | $76,040–$133,820 | $96,031 | 770 |
| 34 | Architect | Engineering | $99,210 | $68,860–$142,710 | $95,578 | 310 |
| 35 | Civil Engineer | Engineering | $99,010 | $72,980–$134,040 | $95,385 | 1,530 |
| 36 | Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $97,950 | $64,480–$133,450 | $94,364 | 1,460 |
| 37 | Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $97,840 | $64,080–$165,290 | $94,258 | 1,470 |
| 38 | Computer Programmer | Technology | $97,410 | $64,860–$163,490 | $93,844 | 280 |
| 39 | Management Analyst | Management | $97,170 | $65,000–$163,280 | $93,613 | 3,240 |
| 40 | Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $95,670 | $74,480–$115,610 | $92,168 | 610 |
| 41 | Network Architect | Technology | $91,580 | $61,370–$131,890 | $88,227 | 1,230 |
| 42 | Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $90,400 | $65,330–$110,660 | $87,091 | 460 |
| 43 | Financial Examiner | Finance | $88,920 | $72,610–$133,450 | $85,665 | 140 |
| 44 | Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $86,890 | $64,740–$119,430 | $83,709 | 410 |
| 45 | Plumber | Trades | $85,160 | $48,310–$123,270 | $82,042 | 1,590 |
| 46 | Web Designer | Technology | $83,500 | $51,480–$128,660 | $80,443 | 230 |
| 47 | Accountant | Finance | $81,130 | $60,770–$122,930 | $78,160 | 4,440 |
| 48 | Web Developer | Technology | $81,080 | $57,800–$121,140 | $78,112 | 200 |
| 49 | Loan Officer | Finance | $78,840 | $51,290–$155,840 | $75,954 | 650 |
| 50 | Electrician | Trades | $78,430 | $45,050–$102,860 | $75,559 | 1,760 |
| 51 | Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $75,650 | $51,360–$117,990 | $72,881 | 880 |
| 52 | Pediatrician | Healthcare | $75,590 | $75,590–$327,540 | $72,823 | 100 |
| 53 | Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $73,510 | $49,440–$108,620 | $70,819 | 1,410 |
| 54 | Writer/Author | Creative | $68,760 | $49,570–$98,330 | $66,243 | 150 |
| 55 | Market Research Analyst | Management | $67,990 | $43,560–$121,480 | $65,501 | 2,640 |
| 56 | Secondary School Teacher | Education | $64,080 | $49,890–$80,190 | $61,734 | 1,940 |
| 57 | Graphic Designer | Creative | $63,970 | $45,190–$94,730 | $61,628 | 700 |
| 58 | Elementary School Teacher | Education | $63,690 | $51,340–$100,420 | $61,358 | 3,530 |
| 59 | Carpenter | Trades | $63,480 | $46,670–$92,430 | $61,156 | 2,320 |
| 60 | Paralegal | Legal | $60,800 | $47,520–$82,770 | $58,574 | 850 |
| 61 | Automotive Technician | Trades | $60,650 | $37,440–$81,490 | $58,430 | 1,270 |
| 62 | Welder | Trades | $59,530 | $45,140–$71,270 | $57,351 | 1,010 |
| 63 | Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $59,090 | $47,360–$83,140 | $56,927 | 2,790 |
Why These Roles Pay the Most in Madison, WI
Madison, WI's pay distribution reflects its mix of regional employers and industries, plus the local cost of living that affects nominal salary levels in the BLS data.
An average median salary above $90K places this metro in the top tier of U.S. cities for nominal pay. Most of that premium accrues to the upper percentiles of skilled and managerial occupations; entry-level and service-sector pay is closer to national norms.
Madison, WI's cost-of-living index of 103.8 is close to the U.S. average. Nominal salaries here translate roughly one-for-one into purchasing power; the COL-Adjusted column will be very close to the median column for every row.
How to Use This Ranking
For salary negotiation, the median is a starting anchor — not the ceiling. A Family Medicine Physician with five-plus years of experience in Madison, WI should be benchmarking against the 75th percentile ($325,570) or 90th percentile ($360,140), not the $291,000 median. Use the salary percentile calculator to place any specific salary into the BLS distribution for any role-and-city pair.
For cross-city comparisons, ignore the nominal Median column and look at COL-Adjusted. A $291K Family Medicine Physician salary in Madison, WI (COL 103.8) translates to $280K of buying power in an average-cost metro — that is the apples-to-apples figure when weighing a relocation. Read the methodology behind these adjustments in our methodology page.
For job hunting, focus on the top-10 ranking above and on the role-by-role detail pages — each links through to a Family Medicine Physician in Madison, WI page with full percentile breakdowns, year-over-year change, and prevailing-wage references for H-1B / PERM applicants.
Frequently Asked Questions
The highest paying job in Madison, WI is Family Medicine Physician with a median salary of $291,000 and a 90th-percentile reading of $360,140. The role employs roughly 160 workers in this metro according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2025 OEWS data.
32 of the 63 BLS-tracked occupations in Madison, WI have a median salary of $100,000 or higher. That is well above what most U.S. metros offer. See the full list ranked by median salary above.
Across 63 BLS-tracked occupations, the average median salary in Madison, WI is $107,138. The cost-of-living index is 103.8, so adjusted to a national-average baseline, the average is $103,216 in equivalent purchasing power.
Madison, WI has a cost-of-living index of 103.8, near the national average. Nominal pay translates roughly to face value, making it a strong choice for many careers — particularly the Family Medicine Physician, Obstetrician/Gynecologist, Dentist occupations at the top of the ranking.
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 across all industries. The OEWS publishes 10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th, and 90th percentile wages by Metropolitan Statistical Area and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. The same data is used by the Department of Labor for prevailing wage determinations.
Related Pages
Rankings based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025 reference period. COL adjustments use a composite cost-of-living index calibrated to U.S. average = 100.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2026.