Salaries · United States · Wisconsin
Salaries in Wisconsin 2026
The median pay for all jobs in Wisconsin is $50,270 a year ($24.17 an hour), 1% below the US median of $50,980 (BLS, May 2025): the 22nd highest of the 50 states and DC. Full-time workers living in Wisconsin earn a median of $60,563 (Census ACS 2020 to 2024).
By Dominic Roworth · From BLS, Census and BEA data, checked 31 October 2026
Pay in Wisconsin: the key figures
| Figure | Wisconsin | United States | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, all jobs | $50,270 | $50,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Average (mean) pay | $64,270 | $69,770 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lowest-paid 10% earn under | $29,980 | $31,200 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Highest-paid 10% earn over | $104,990 | $128,560 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Jobs counted | 2,941,540 | 155,495,730 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Full-time workers living here, median | $60,563 ± $162 | $61,657 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B20018 |
| Median household income | $77,485 ± $455 | $80,734 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B19013 |
| Price level (US = 100) | 94.1 | 100.0 | BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 |
| Minimum wage | $7.25 | $7.25 | State labor department |
Take-home pay on the median
On $50,270, a single person keeps about $40,982 a year ($3,415 a month) after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, Wisconsin income tax. With prices 6% below the US average, $50,270 here buys what $53,400 buys at average US prices.
| Median pay | $50,270 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | -$3,852 |
| Social Security | -$3,117 |
| Medicare | -$729 |
| Wisconsin income tax | -$1,590 |
| Take-home a year | $40,982 |
What drives pay in Wisconsin
Wisconsin is one of the most factory-based states, and that gives it a compressed pay scale. Manufacturing made up 16.1% of GDP in 2025, the fourth-highest share of any state, against 9.5% for the US, led by machinery (2.7%, US 0.7%), food and beverages (3.1%, US 1.2%), fabricated metal products (1.8%, US 0.6%) and paper (1.2%, US 0.2%), according to BEA. Insurance carriers add 6.3% (US 3.1%). The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation says the state is first in the US for cheese production and counts 146,000 jobs connected to the food and beverage industry.
Factory and logistics jobs pay close to the middle: hand laborers and freight movers, 70,520 of them, earn a median of $44,610, and heavy truck drivers $58,610. So the all-jobs median of $50,270 is only 1% below the US and 22nd of the 50 states and DC, but the top of the scale is lower than elsewhere: the highest-paid 10% earn over $104,990, against $128,560 nationally.
Manufacturing is shrinking, though. BLS payroll figures, published by the St. Louis Fed, put factory employment at 458,200 in 2025, down from 483,500 in 2019. The Department of Revenue's August 2026 forecast expects total employment to be essentially flat in 2026 after falling in 2025, with losses in manufacturing and in trade, transportation and utilities offset by construction and education and health services. Wages rose 4.2% in 2025 and are forecast to rise 3.7% in 2026. Real GDP grew just 0.8% in 2025, against 2.3% for the US.
The highest-paid jobs in Wisconsin
Median annual pay, for jobs with at least 1,000 workers in the state (BLS, May 2025).
| Job | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 6,350 | $391,740 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 1,450 | $367,160 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 1,470 | $290,640 |
| Dentists, General | 2,560 | $193,690 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 8,880 | $160,140 |
| Pharmacists | 5,730 | $148,740 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 4,550 | $142,060 |
| Financial Managers | 15,530 | $139,720 |
| Sales Managers | 10,480 | $134,870 |
| Physician Assistants | 3,580 | $133,950 |
| Marketing Managers | 4,890 | $133,600 |
| Human Resources Managers | 3,730 | $133,490 |
| Nurse Practitioners | 5,160 | $131,980 |
| Computer Network Architects | 2,170 | $131,720 |
| Commercial Pilots | 1,090 | $129,860 |
The most common jobs in Wisconsin
The jobs with the most workers, and what they pay.
| Job | Workers | Median a year | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 46,360 | $45,670 | $21.96 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 45,640 | $37,000 | $17.79 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 37,700 | $65,930 | $31.70 |
| General and Operations Managers | 36,910 | $118,730 | $57.08 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 36,220 | $29,670 | $14.26 |
Pay for careers we cover, in Wisconsin
Official BLS medians for Wisconsin; each links to the full salary guide with pay by state.
| Career | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetist | 990 | $273,170 |
| Dentist | 2,560 | $193,690 |
| Pharmacist | 5,730 | $148,740 |
| Physician Assistant | 3,580 | $133,950 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 5,160 | $131,980 |
| Actuary | 890 | $131,640 |
| Commercial Pilot | 1,090 | $129,860 |
| Lawyer | 9,160 | $126,760 |
| Software Engineer | 21,730 | $122,660 |
| Data Scientist | 4,370 | $106,680 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | 2,130 | $101,550 |
| Project Manager | 21,610 | $97,580 |
| Dental Hygienist | 5,080 | $96,540 |
| Financial Analyst | 5,430 | $95,570 |
| Registered Nurse | 68,060 | $95,530 |
| UX Designer | 880 | $95,340 |
| Aerospace Engineer | 120 | $88,400 |
| Plumber | 10,210 | $81,210 |
| Accountant | 25,100 | $79,400 |
| Compliance Officer | 5,710 | $78,800 |
| Elevator Technician | 370 | $77,640 |
| Electrician | 14,310 | $76,540 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | 1,270 | $73,930 |
| HVAC Technician | 6,630 | $61,710 |
| Paralegal | 4,780 | $58,500 |
| Welder | 15,320 | $58,410 |
Wisconsin and its neighbors
| State | Median pay | Price level | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | $50,270 | 94.1 | $53,400 |
| Iowa | $48,540 | 87.8 | $55,300 |
| Illinois | $51,960 | 100.0 | $52,000 |
| Michigan | $49,270 | 96.2 | $51,200 |
| Minnesota | $56,920 | 98.6 | $57,700 |
Limits
BLS figures cover jobs located in Wisconsin, not the self-employed; Census figures cover people who live here. Take-home assumes a single filer with the standard deduction. More in our methodology.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state file)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (tables B20018 and B19013)
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state (table SARPP), 2024
- Take-home pay: Paygrade's 2026 federal and state tax engine, see the methodology.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: GDP by state and industry, 2025 (industry shares and growth rates are our calculation), data last updated 30 Sep 2026
- Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation: Food and Beverage, undated page (cites Lightcast 2025 Q4 data), accessed 31 Oct 2026
- Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics State and Area Employment (CES), Wisconsin, annual averages, not seasonally adjusted, annual data to 2025, accessed 31 Oct 2026
- Wisconsin Department of Revenue: Wisconsin Economic Forecast, August 2026, August 2026
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