Wisconsin
Across all occupations in Wisconsin, the median wage is $50,270 a year ($24.17 an hour) and the mean $64,270, May 2025. That median is −1% against the US median of $50,980. BLS counts 2,941,540 jobs in the state. The highest-paying occupation is cardiologists; the largest is home health and personal care aides.
All occupations: Wisconsin vs the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Wisconsin | Hourly | $14.41 | $18.12 | $24.17 | $36.71 | $50.47 | $30.90 | 2,941,540 |
| Annual | $29,980 | $37,700 | $50,270 | $76,350 | $104,990 | $64,270 | ||
| United States | Hourly | $15.00 | $18.07 | $24.51 | $38.71 | $61.81 | $33.54 | 155,495,730 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $37,590 | $50,980 | $80,520 | $128,560 | $69,770 | ||
Minimum wage in Wisconsin
The wage floor is a separate question from these survey figures. See the Wisconsin minimum wage page for the current rate, scheduled increases and tipped rules, verified against the U.S. Department of Labor.
20 highest-paying occupations in Wisconsin
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiologists | $636,580 | $306.05 | 200 |
| 2 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $572,060 | $275.03 | 290 |
| 3 | Anesthesiologists | $443,990 | $213.46 | 790 |
| 4 | Dermatologists | $440,710 | $211.88 | 160 |
| 5 | Surgeons, All Other | $416,000 | $200.00 | 550 |
| 6 | Radiologists | $392,610 | $188.76 | 980 |
| 7 | Physicians, All Other | $391,740 | $188.34 | 6,350 |
| 8 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $367,160 | $176.52 | 1,450 |
| 9 | Neurologists | $342,520 | $164.68 | 130 |
| 10 | Psychiatrists | $331,070 | $159.17 | 550 |
| 11 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $304,990 | $146.63 | 450 |
| 12 | Family Medicine Physicians | $290,640 | $139.73 | 1,470 |
| 13 | Nurse Anesthetists | $273,170 | $131.33 | 990 |
| 14 | Pediatricians, General | $269,790 | $129.71 | 350 |
| 15 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $213,890 | $102.83 | 250 |
| 16 | Orthodontists | $212,860 | $102.34 | 90 |
| 17 | Chief Executives | $208,350 | $100.17 | ** |
| 18 | Dentists, General | $193,690 | $93.12 | 2,560 |
| 19 | Podiatrists | $185,100 | $88.99 | 120 |
| 20 | Physicists | $173,120 | $83.23 | 180 |
Ranked by median; an occupation whose median BLS withholds or top-codes cannot appear here, however well it pays.
20 largest occupations in Wisconsin
Occupation groups in Wisconsin
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $123,350 | $137,160 | 170,120 | 57.83 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $96,100 | $100,160 | 81,570 | 27.73 |
| Legal | $88,760 | $126,780 | 15,670 | 5.33 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $85,940 | $111,190 | 189,800 | 64.53 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $84,170 | $91,090 | 50,930 | 17.32 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $78,090 | $85,730 | 183,430 | 62.36 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $75,520 | $80,620 | 26,220 | 8.91 |
| Construction and Extraction | $63,660 | $69,810 | 117,220 | 39.85 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $60,660 | $63,410 | 113,170 | 38.47 |
| Protective Service | $60,110 | $61,040 | 54,430 | 18.51 |
| Community and Social Service | $59,970 | $61,930 | 42,170 | 14.34 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $58,370 | $61,110 | 163,180 | 55.47 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $57,110 | $63,650 | 33,750 | 11.47 |
| Production | $48,490 | $51,980 | 294,570 | 100.14 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $47,560 | $50,250 | 329,860 | 112.14 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $45,340 | $46,930 | 274,860 | 93.44 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $42,170 | $43,030 | 4,990 | 1.70 |
| Healthcare Support | $38,450 | $40,550 | 148,270 | 50.41 |
| Sales and Related | $38,370 | $53,280 | 256,830 | 87.31 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $37,700 | $40,710 | 87,380 | 29.71 |
| Personal Care and Service | $36,010 | $39,240 | 55,010 | 18.70 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $30,160 | $32,830 | 248,100 | 84.34 |
Metropolitan areas in Wisconsin
15 metropolitan areas touch Wisconsin, plus 4 nonmetropolitan areas, with the all-occupations median of each. A linked metropolitan area has its own profile; nonmetropolitan areas appear here only.
| Area | Type | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appleton, WI | Metropolitan | $49,910 | $24.00 | 124,230 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | Metropolitan | $50,000 | $24.04 | 124,710 |
| Eau Claire, WI | Metropolitan | $48,100 | $23.12 | 86,060 |
| Fond du Lac, WI | Metropolitan | $50,340 | $24.20 | 43,900 |
| Green Bay, WI | Metropolitan | $49,940 | $24.01 | 174,550 |
| Janesville-Beloit, WI | Metropolitan | $48,390 | $23.26 | 69,870 |
| Kenosha, WI | Metropolitan | $48,310 | $23.22 | 75,450 |
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | Metropolitan | $48,260 | $23.20 | 84,380 |
| Madison, WI | Metropolitan | $58,080 | $27.92 | 408,070 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | Metropolitan | $51,160 | $24.60 | 820,780 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | Metropolitan | $59,320 | $28.52 | 1,951,650 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | Metropolitan | $54,060 | $25.99 | 93,750 |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | Metropolitan | $48,870 | $23.50 | 76,280 |
| Sheboygan, WI | Metropolitan | $51,890 | $24.95 | 60,630 |
| Wausau, WI | Metropolitan | $48,790 | $23.46 | 69,530 |
| Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | Nonmetropolitan | $46,880 | $22.54 | 48,350 |
| Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | Nonmetropolitan | $47,510 | $22.84 | 196,170 |
| South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | Nonmetropolitan | $47,110 | $22.65 | 210,950 |
| Western Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | Nonmetropolitan | $47,910 | $23.04 | 127,550 |
Occupation pages for Wisconsin
63 occupations have a dedicated Wisconsin page with the state's percentiles, its metro table and a comparison with neighbouring states.
- Accountants and Auditors $79,400
- Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics $54,350
- Bartenders $23,460
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks $50,340
- Business Operations Specialists, All Other $67,370
- Carpenters $61,660
- Cashiers $30,880
- Computer and Information Systems Managers $160,140
- Computer User Support Specialists $58,810
- Construction Laborers $56,100
- Cooks, Fast Food $28,920
- Cooks, Restaurant $36,550
- Customer Service Representatives $46,970
- Electricians $76,540
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $61,210
- Fast Food and Counter Workers $28,600
- Financial Managers $139,720
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $85,350
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers $39,670
- First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $82,570
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $70,560
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $74,840
- First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers $49,550
- First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $64,560
- Food Preparation Workers $34,070
- General and Operations Managers $118,730
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $58,610
- Home Health and Personal Care Aides $36,340
- Human Resources Specialists $70,540
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators $47,720
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $37,000
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand $44,610
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers $41,230
- Lawyers $126,760
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $63,760
- Light Truck Drivers $45,670
- Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $35,530
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General $55,810
- Management Analysts $98,780
- Managers, All Other $107,050
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $64,800
- Medical Assistants $48,680
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants $48,380
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $61,960
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators $45,670
- Nursing Assistants $45,130
- Office Clerks, General $44,980
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $78,090
- Project Management Specialists $97,580
- Receptionists and Information Clerks $41,150
- Registered Nurses $95,530
- Retail Salespersons $34,480
- Sales Managers $134,870
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel $64,020
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $65,930
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $62,870
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive $47,710
- Security Guards $37,440
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks $47,490
- Software Developers $122,660
- Stockers and Order Fillers $35,000
- Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary $37,800
- Waiters and Waitresses $29,670
Take-home pay and benefits calculators for Wisconsin
FastCalc, a sister site, has these calculators for Wisconsin. Each takes your own figures; this site computes nothing.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Wisconsin estimates.
#- Equal to or greater than the top code (BLS publishes no wage above it).
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- 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.
- Jobs per 1,000 is the occupation's employment per 1,000 jobs in Wisconsin.