Average Salary in Wisconsin
What workers in Wisconsin earn: mean and median wages, monthly and hourly pay, the full wage distribution, household income and cost-of-living context. Wage data: BLS OEWS May 2025.
- Mean annual wage$64,270Rank #30 of 51 · US $69,770
- Median annual wage$50,270Rank #22 of 51 · US $50,980
- Mean hourly wage$30.90Median $24.17/hour
- Median monthly pay$4,189Mean $5,356/month
- Median household income$77,488ACS 2024 · rank #29
- Price level (RPP)94.1US = 100 · BEA 2024
What is the average salary in Wisconsin?
The average (mean) annual wage across all occupations in Wisconsin is $64,270, and the median annual wage is $50,270, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 OEWS estimates. The mean is 7.9% below the national mean of $69,770; the median is 1.4% below the national median of $50,980. Wisconsin ranks #30 of the 50 states and DC for mean wage and #22 for median wage.
The mean is $14,000 (28%) higher than the median. That gap is normal: a minority of very high earners pulls the average up, so the median is the better guide to what a typical worker in Wisconsin earns. Why mean and median differ →
The estimates cover 2,941,540 wage and salary jobs in Wisconsin (self-employed workers are not included).
Monthly, weekly and hourly pay in Wisconsin
Gross pay before taxes. Monthly = annual ÷ 12, bi-weekly = annual ÷ 26, weekly = annual ÷ 52. Hourly figures are published by BLS.
| Pay period | Mean (average) | Median (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual | $64,270 | $50,270 |
| Monthly | $5,356 | $4,189 |
| Bi-weekly paycheck | $2,472 | $1,933 |
| Weekly | $1,236 | $967 |
| Hourly | $30.90 | $24.17 |
Estimate take-home pay on the Wisconsin median wage (2026 tax year) →
What is a good salary in Wisconsin?
“Good” depends on your household and where in the state you live, but the wage distribution shows where a salary stands relative to other workers in Wisconsin:
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $29,980 | $2,498 | 90% of workers earn more |
| 25th | $37,700 | $3,142 | 75% earn more |
| 50th (median) | $50,270 | $4,189 | half earn more, half less |
| 75th | $76,350 | $6,362 | top 25% earn more than this |
| 90th | $104,990 | $8,749 | top 10% earn more than this |
In practice, a salary above $50,270 beats more than half of Wisconsin workers, about $76,350 puts you in the top quarter, and $104,990 or more puts you in the top 10%. These are individual wages, not household income. Compare percentiles across states →
Household income and earnings in Wisconsin
| Measure (ACS 2024) | Wisconsin | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $77,488 | $81,604 |
| Median family income | $100,319 | $101,265 |
| Per-capita income | $43,361 | $45,256 |
| Median earnings, all workers with earnings | $47,337 | $46,949 |
| Median earnings, men working full-time year-round | $65,829 | $66,965 |
| Median earnings, women working full-time year-round | $53,311 | $55,678 |
Household income adds up the income of everyone in a household — often two earners, plus Social Security, investment and self-employment income — so it is higher than any per-worker wage figure. Women working full-time year-round in Wisconsin have median earnings equal to 81% of men’s. Household income in every state →
Salary vs. cost of living in Wisconsin
Prices in Wisconsin are about 5.9% below the national average (BEA regional price parity 94.1; housing 79.3). Adjusted for that, the median wage of $50,270 is worth $53,422 at national-average prices (rank #20), and the mean wage is worth $68,300 (rank #24). Cost-of-living adjusted ranking →
Wisconsin taxes wage income, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures above by federal tax, FICA and state income tax.
Wisconsin vs. neighboring states
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | RPP | Adjusted median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | $64,270 | $50,270 | 94.1 | $53,422 |
| Illinois | $71,130 | $51,960 | 100.0 | $51,960 |
| Iowa | $59,830 | $48,540 | 87.8 | $55,285 |
| Michigan | $64,920 | $49,270 | 96.2 | $51,216 |
| Minnesota | $71,160 | $56,920 | 98.6 | $57,728 |
Highest-paying occupations in Wisconsin
Detailed occupations with at least 300 jobs in the state, ranked by mean annual wage. “$239,200+” means BLS reports only that the wage is at or above that level.
| Occupation | Mean wage | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $239,200+ | $239,200+ | 1,260 |
| Surgeons, All Other | $450,490 | $416,000 | 550 |
| Anesthesiologists | $411,910 | $443,990 | 790 |
| Radiologists | $381,720 | $392,610 | 980 |
| Physicians, All Other | $364,840 | $391,740 | 6,350 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $334,100 | $367,160 | 1,450 |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $313,520 | $304,990 | 450 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $292,050 | $290,640 | 1,470 |
| Psychiatrists | $282,980 | $331,070 | 550 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $272,470 | $273,170 | 990 |
Most common jobs in Wisconsin and what they pay
| Occupation | Employment | Median wage | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 82,430 | $36,340 | $17.47 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 70,520 | $44,610 | $21.45 |
| Registered Nurses | 68,060 | $95,530 | $45.93 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 67,750 | $28,600 | $13.75 |
| Retail Salespersons | 67,640 | $34,480 | $16.58 |
| Cashiers | 65,380 | $30,880 | $14.85 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 53,330 | $58,610 | $28.18 |
| Office Clerks, General | 51,440 | $44,980 | $21.63 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 50,840 | $46,970 | $22.58 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 47,580 | $35,000 | $16.83 |
The largest occupation in Wisconsin is home health and personal care aides, with 82,430 jobs and a median wage of $36,340. Many of the most common jobs pay well below the state median, which is one reason the overall median sits far below the mean.
Salaries for 54 common occupations in Wisconsin
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Wisconsin?
The average (mean) annual wage in Wisconsin is $64,270, or $30.90 per hour, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The median wage — what a typical worker earns — is $50,270 a year ($24.17 per hour).
What is the average monthly salary in Wisconsin?
Dividing the annual figures by 12, the mean wage in Wisconsin works out to about $5,356 per month and the median wage to about $4,189 per month, before taxes.
What is considered a good salary in Wisconsin?
Earning more than the median of $50,270 puts you above half of all workers in Wisconsin. A salary of $76,350 or more is in the top 25%, and $104,990 or more is in the top 10% of wage earners in the state.
What is the median household income in Wisconsin?
Median household income in Wisconsin was $77,488 in the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, compared with $81,604 nationally. Household income combines all earners and income sources in a home.
Does Wisconsin have a state income tax on wages?
Yes. Wisconsin taxes wage income, so state income tax is deducted from paychecks in addition to federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.