Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
64 Highest Paying Jobs in Wisconsin (2026)
The highest-paying job in Wisconsin is Family Medicine Physician with a state-aggregated median salary of $288,412 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data weighted across the state's 2 BLS-tracked metros. Across all 64 occupations the average median is $107,973, with 30 occupations paying a six-figure ($100K+) median. Wisconsin's average cost-of-living index is 101, so the average median equates to $106,904 of buying power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
The 64 occupations below are ranked by median wage across Wisconsin — rolling up wage data across all metropolitan areas in the state. State-level rollups smooth over the substantial intra-state wage variation typical of larger states. For state-level wage comparisons, BLS OEWS state files aggregate across MSAs and non-MSA areas. The aggregation hides legitimate within-state differences: a job in Wisconsin's primary metro often pays substantially more (and costs substantially more to live near) than the same job in smaller cities.
Use the per-metro pages for the geographic-specific view. The state-level ranking is most useful for comparing Wisconsin to other states, not for comparing within-state options.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs in Wisconsin
Ranked by state-aggregated median (50th percentile) salary, employment-weighted across Wisconsin's 2 BLS-tracked metros.
State median $288,412 · 550 jobs · top metro: Madison ($291,000)
Family Medicine Physicians in Wisconsin earn $288,412 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Madison) pays $291,000 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $277,168 · 250 jobs · top metro: Milwaukee ($300,470)
Obstetrician/Gynecologists in Wisconsin earn $277,168 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Milwaukee) pays $300,470 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $165,075 · 5,060 jobs · top metro: Madison ($168,900)
Computer and Information Systems Managers in Wisconsin earn $165,075 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Madison) pays $168,900 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $160,977 · 1,100 jobs · top metro: Madison ($176,460)
Dentists in Wisconsin earn $160,977 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Madison) pays $176,460 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $155,199 · 2,880 jobs · top metro: Madison ($158,120)
Pharmacists in Wisconsin earn $155,199 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Madison) pays $158,120 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $153,889 · 7,480 jobs · top metro: Milwaukee ($156,100)
Financial Managers in Wisconsin earn $153,889 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Milwaukee) pays $156,100 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $150,920 · 160 jobs · top metro: Milwaukee ($276,470)
Pediatricians in Wisconsin earn $150,920 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Milwaukee) pays $276,470 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $145,177 · 4,900 jobs · top metro: Madison ($146,380)
Sales Managers in Wisconsin earn $145,177 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Madison) pays $146,380 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $138,011 · 1,850 jobs · top metro: Madison ($140,680)
Human Resources Managers in Wisconsin earn $138,011 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Madison) pays $140,680 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $134,728 · 1,710 jobs · top metro: Milwaukee ($135,040)
Physician Assistants in Wisconsin earn $134,728 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Milwaukee) pays $135,040 median, materially above the state aggregate.
Full Ranking: All 64 Tracked Occupations
| Rank | Role | Category | State Median | Top Metro | Top Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $288,412 | Madison | $291,000 | 550 |
| 2 | Obstetrician/Gynecologist | Healthcare | $277,168 | Milwaukee | $300,470 | 250 |
| 3 | Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $165,075 | Madison | $168,900 | 5,060 |
| 4 | Dentist | Healthcare | $160,977 | Madison | $176,460 | 1,100 |
| 5 | Pharmacist | Healthcare | $155,199 | Madison | $158,120 | 2,880 |
| 6 | Financial Manager | Finance | $153,889 | Milwaukee | $156,100 | 7,480 |
| 7 | Pediatrician | Healthcare | $150,920 | Milwaukee | $276,470 | 160 |
| 8 | Sales Manager | Management | $145,177 | Madison | $146,380 | 4,900 |
| 9 | Human Resources Manager | Management | $138,011 | Madison | $140,680 | 1,850 |
| 10 | Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $134,728 | Milwaukee | $135,040 | 1,710 |
| 11 | Computer Network Architect | Technology | $134,497 | Madison | $135,490 | 1,130 |
| 12 | Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $134,010 | Milwaukee | $134,350 | 1,980 |
| 13 | Marketing Manager | Management | $133,634 | Madison | $138,270 | 2,580 |
| 14 | Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $132,708 | Milwaukee | $133,270 | 3,540 |
| 15 | Optometrist | Healthcare | $130,869 | Milwaukee | $132,130 | 310 |
| 16 | Lawyer | Legal | $128,903 | Milwaukee | $131,100 | 5,900 |
| 17 | Software Developer | Technology | $127,327 | Madison | $130,630 | 12,890 |
| 18 | General and Operations Manager | Management | $125,861 | Madison | $126,620 | 15,610 |
| 19 | Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $125,851 | Madison | $126,000 | 2,740 |
| 20 | Veterinarian | Healthcare | $116,510 | Milwaukee | $117,780 | 850 |
| 21 | Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $110,509 | Madison | $137,060 | 960 |
| 22 | Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $108,586 | Madison | $110,360 | 410 |
| 23 | Statistician | Technology | $106,071 | Madison | $107,860 | 180 |
| 24 | Audiologist | Healthcare | $105,516 | Milwaukee | $105,800 | 90 |
| 25 | Data Scientist | Technology | $104,710 | Milwaukee | $104,710 | 1,080 |
| 26 | Database Architect | Technology | $103,885 | Madison | $105,680 | 720 |
| 27 | Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $102,954 | Milwaukee | $103,030 | 2,610 |
| 28 | Information Security Analyst | Technology | $102,504 | Madison | $104,110 | 1,100 |
| 29 | Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $101,423 | Milwaukee | $102,120 | 4,820 |
| 30 | Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $100,117 | Madison | $100,370 | 5,450 |
| 31 | Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $99,873 | Madison | $102,420 | 1,880 |
| 32 | Management Analyst | Management | $99,785 | Milwaukee | $102,900 | 5,960 |
| 33 | Architect | Engineering | $99,500 | Milwaukee | $99,680 | 810 |
| 34 | Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $99,300 | Madison | $100,340 | 2,040 |
| 35 | Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $98,976 | Madison | $99,680 | 2,970 |
| 36 | Financial Analyst | Finance | $98,864 | Madison | $103,750 | 3,290 |
| 37 | Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $98,594 | Madison | $101,190 | 33,050 |
| 38 | Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $97,683 | Madison | $97,840 | 2,260 |
| 39 | Civil Engineer | Engineering | $97,308 | Madison | $99,010 | 3,860 |
| 40 | Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $94,570 | Madison | $95,670 | 1,830 |
| 41 | Web Developer | Technology | $91,787 | Milwaukee | $100,710 | 440 |
| 42 | Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $91,080 | Madison | $97,950 | 2,720 |
| 43 | Network Architect | Technology | $90,667 | Madison | $91,580 | 3,360 |
| 44 | Financial Examiner | Finance | $90,070 | Milwaukee | $90,770 | 370 |
| 45 | Computer Programmer | Technology | $89,229 | Madison | $97,410 | 860 |
| 46 | Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $87,812 | Milwaukee | $88,190 | 1,410 |
| 47 | Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $85,106 | Madison | $90,400 | 700 |
| 48 | Plumber | Trades | $84,868 | Madison | $85,160 | 4,350 |
| 49 | Web Designer | Technology | $83,500 | Madison | $83,500 | 230 |
| 50 | Loan Officer | Finance | $81,948 | Milwaukee | $83,660 | 1,830 |
| 51 | Accountant | Finance | $80,591 | Madison | $81,130 | 12,400 |
| 52 | Electrician | Trades | $77,977 | Madison | $78,430 | 6,250 |
| 53 | Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $75,171 | Madison | $75,650 | 2,190 |
| 54 | Secondary School Teacher | Education | $71,756 | Milwaukee | $75,370 | 6,060 |
| 55 | Market Research Analyst | Management | $71,735 | Milwaukee | $73,880 | 7,250 |
| 56 | Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $69,632 | Madison | $73,510 | 2,740 |
| 57 | Writer/Author | Creative | $65,642 | Madison | $68,760 | 420 |
| 58 | Carpenter | Trades | $63,733 | Milwaukee | $63,910 | 5,630 |
| 59 | Graphic Designer | Creative | $62,587 | Madison | $63,970 | 1,900 |
| 60 | Elementary School Teacher | Education | $62,249 | Madison | $63,690 | 10,150 |
| 61 | Automotive Technician | Trades | $61,992 | Milwaukee | $62,530 | 4,440 |
| 62 | Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $60,782 | Milwaukee | $63,190 | 4,750 |
| 63 | Paralegal | Legal | $60,483 | Madison | $60,800 | 2,730 |
| 64 | Welder | Trades | $59,422 | Madison | $59,530 | 4,410 |
Why These Roles Pay the Most in Wisconsin
Wisconsin'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.
$Wisconsin tracks $2 BLS-published metros covering approximately $236,430 workers across the $64 occupations on this page. State-aggregated medians are employment-weighted across metros, which is the right way to read "state pay" when BLS publishes by metro. The Family Medicine Physician top spot reflects Madison pulling the upper end of the distribution; smaller metros in Wisconsin typically pay 10–25% less for the same role.
Metro-by-Metro Detail
For salary data specific to one metro within Wisconsin, see:
Frequently Asked Questions
The highest paying job in Wisconsin is Family Medicine Physician with a state median salary of $288,412. The top-paying metro for this role is Madison at $291,000 median. The role employs roughly 550 workers across Wisconsin.
30 of the 64 BLS-tracked occupations in Wisconsin have a state-aggregated median salary of $100,000 or higher. That places this state in the upper tier nationally for high-paying occupations.
Across 64 BLS-tracked occupations, the average median salary in Wisconsin is $107,973. The figure is employment-weighted across 2 metros, so larger occupations and larger metros contribute proportionally more. Cost-of-living-adjusted to a national-average baseline, it equates to $106,904.
BLS OEWS publishes wage data by Metropolitan Statistical Area. For Wisconsin, this page aggregates Milwaukee, Madison. Some non-MSA areas (small towns, rural counties) are excluded from OEWS metro tables but covered in BLS state-level summaries; we use metro-level data to preserve the percentile granularity.
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. State aggregates are computed by employment-weighting metro-level percentile wages across the BLS-tracked metros in Wisconsin.
State aggregates are employment-weighted across the BLS-tracked metros in Wisconsin, using OEWS 2025 data.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2026.