Nursing Assistants Salary in Wisconsin
The median for nursing assistants in Wisconsin is $45,130 a year, somewhat above the national $42,260 (+7%); the state ranks 19th of 51 states by median. That is 10% less than the median across all occupations in Wisconsin ($50,270). Among neighbouring states, Minnesota and Illinois pay more (up to $46,680 in Minnesota) and Michigan and Iowa pay less (down to $39,350 in Iowa). Wisconsin employs 28,370 nursing assistants, 9.64 per 1,000 jobs, the 18th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.04 is close to the national share.
Wisconsin vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Wisconsin | Hourly | $18.22 | $19.03 | $21.70 | $22.75 | $24.35 | $21.44 | 28,370 | 9.64 | 1.04 |
| Annual | $37,900 | $39,580 | $45,130 | $47,320 | $50,650 | $44,600 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $16.32 | $17.91 | $20.32 | $22.70 | $24.99 | $20.53 | 1,448,910 | – | – |
| Annual | $33,940 | $37,260 | $42,260 | $47,220 | $51,980 | $42,700 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 19th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 18th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.04
- Jobs per 1,000
- 9.64
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Wisconsin's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Wisconsin
15 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Wisconsin publish a row for nursing assistants, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $23.09 | $48,020 | $39,510 | $56,090 | 14,590 | 7.48 | 0.80 |
| Sheboygan, WI | $22.62 | $47,050 | $38,340 | $48,990 | 520 | 8.51 | 0.91 |
| Kenosha, WI | $22.22 | $46,220 | $38,510 | $50,310 | 710 | 9.46 | 1.01 |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | $21.97 | $45,710 | $37,940 | $53,740 | 620 | 8.10 | 0.87 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $21.97 | $45,690 | $38,850 | $49,160 | 7,880 | 9.60 | 1.03 |
| Madison, WI | $21.76 | $45,260 | $39,470 | $55,990 | 3,420 | 8.38 | 0.90 |
| Appleton, WI | $21.52 | $44,760 | $37,260 | $49,510 | 980 | 7.90 | 0.85 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $21.44 | $44,590 | $38,370 | $48,480 | 900 | 9.64 | 1.03 |
| Fond du Lac, WI | $21.39 | $44,490 | $37,740 | $48,630 | 520 | 11.76 | 1.26 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | $21.27 | $44,250 | $36,180 | $48,760 | 1,610 | 12.90 | 1.38 |
| Wausau, WI | $20.99 | $43,660 | $37,150 | $48,000 | 710 | 10.20 | 1.09 |
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | $20.92 | $43,510 | $37,530 | $47,220 | 1,250 | 14.81 | 1.59 |
| Green Bay, WI | $20.89 | $43,450 | $37,630 | $47,260 | 1,700 | 9.76 | 1.05 |
| Eau Claire, WI | $20.75 | $43,150 | $36,950 | $50,530 | 1,100 | 12.77 | 1.37 |
| Janesville-Beloit, WI | $19.10 | $39,730 | $35,290 | $46,460 | 710 | 10.23 | 1.10 |
| Western Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $21.75 | $45,230 | $37,840 | $53,420 | 1,660 | 13.04 | 1.40 |
| Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $21.55 | $44,810 | $37,470 | $49,010 | 620 | 12.89 | 1.38 |
| South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $21.48 | $44,680 | $37,760 | $53,420 | 2,290 | 10.85 | 1.16 |
| Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $20.78 | $43,220 | $36,910 | $49,010 | 1,850 | 9.45 | 1.01 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Nursing Assistants (every state ranked) and the Wisconsin wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Wisconsin estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.