State salary profile · Wisconsin

Wisconsin Salaries

Wisconsin statewide wages plus 13 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas, from BLS OEWS May 2025. Published local OEWS areas include Appleton, WI, Eau Claire, WI, Fond du Lac, WI, Green Bay, WI, Janesville-Beloit, WI, Kenosha, WI, then La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN, Madison, WI, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area, Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area, Oshkosh-Neenah, WI.

$213,200
Mean of top 50 medians
727
Occupations
17
Local wage areas
129,610
Estimated jobs (top tier)

The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians in Wisconsin is $213,200.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, The May 2025 release has a published median for 727 occupations in Wisconsin; percentile boundaries and local-area rows are available only where BLS publishes them. The highest-paying reported occupation, Cardiologists, earns $636,580, versus $23,460 for Bartenders at the bottom of the range. Detail is available for 13 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas. Published local OEWS areas include Appleton, WI, Eau Claire, WI, Fond du Lac, WI, Green Bay, WI, Janesville-Beloit, WI, Kenosha, WI, then La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN, Madison, WI, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area, Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area, Oshkosh-Neenah, WI.

Wisconsin · employment ≠ wage

In Wisconsin, Home Health and Personal Care Aides lead by published employment (82,430 jobs, #1 of 713) but rank #661 of 713 on median wage ($36,340), while Cardiologists top the wage list at $636,580 (#1 of 713) with 200 jobs (#588 of 713). The largest payroll is not the highest published median.

82,430
Home Health and Personal C... employment #1
$636,580
Cardiologists wage #1
#588
Employment rank of wage leader
#661
Wage rank of employment leader

Employment is OEWS tot_emp inside this state; pay is the occupation median. Same detailed-occupation pool, two rankings.

Employment of Wisconsin's #1 occupations by headcount vs median wage

Same unit (published jobs) for both named leaders. BLS OEWS May 2025.

jobs

What this shows Home Health and Personal Care Aides lead Wisconsin by employment; Cardiologists lead on median wage at $636,580.

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

Wisconsin, the picture in one line

Wisconsin ranks #30 of 54 states and territories by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage; its highest published occupation median is Cardiologists at $636,580. Published local OEWS areas include Appleton, WI, Eau Claire, WI, Fond du Lac, WI, Green Bay, WI, Janesville-Beloit, WI, Kenosha, WI, then La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN, Madison, WI, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area, Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area, Oshkosh-Neenah, WI.

#30
of 54 states by published mean wage
$636,580
top-paying: Cardiologists
44th
percentile among all states
Appleton, WI
local OEWS: Appleton, WI and Eau Claire, WI

The state rank uses BLS's All Occupations mean. Occupation rows below use occupation-specific medians; the two statistics are not interchangeable. Start local checks in Appleton, WI.

Statewide OEWS footprints behind Wisconsin's 17 local areas

Software Developers and Financial Managers lead Wisconsin's published employment inside this top-pay sample, order follows OEWS job counts, not median wage.

  1. 1. Software Developers 21,730 jobs · $122,660
  2. 2. Financial Managers 15,530 jobs · $139,720
  3. 3. Sales Managers 10,480 jobs · $134,870
  4. 4. Lawyers 9,160 jobs · $126,760
  5. 5. Computer and Information Systems Managers 8,880 jobs · $160,140
  6. 6. Medical and Health Services Managers 7,230 jobs · $128,320
  7. 7. Physicians, All Other 6,350 jobs · $391,740
  8. 8. Pharmacists 5,730 jobs · $148,740
  9. 9. Nurse Practitioners 5,160 jobs · $131,980
  10. 10. Marketing Managers 4,890 jobs · $133,600
  11. 11. Architectural and Engineering Managers 4,550 jobs · $142,060
  12. 12. Human Resources Managers 3,730 jobs · $133,490
  13. 13. Physician Assistants 3,580 jobs · $133,950
  14. 14. Dentists, General 2,560 jobs · $193,690
  15. 15. Computer Network Architects 2,170 jobs · $131,720
  16. 16. Purchasing Managers 1,610 jobs · $124,990
  17. 17. Family Medicine Physicians 1,470 jobs · $290,640
  18. 18. General Internal Medicine Physicians 1,450 jobs · $367,160
  19. 19. Education Administrators, Postsecondary 1,190 jobs · $124,960
  20. 20. Commercial Pilots 1,090 jobs · $129,860

Local BLS wage areas inside Wisconsin

Published local OEWS areas include Appleton, WI, Eau Claire, WI, Fond du Lac, WI, Green Bay, WI, Janesville-Beloit, WI, Kenosha, WI, then La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN, Madison, WI, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area, Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area, Oshkosh-Neenah, WI.

Appleton, WI Eau Claire, WI Fond du Lac, WI Green Bay, WI Janesville-Beloit, WI Kenosha, WI La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN Madison, WI Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area Oshkosh-Neenah, WI Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI Sheboygan, WI South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area Wausau, WI Western Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area

Observed statewide pay change

What changed, BLS OEWS 2024–2025

May 2024 → May 2025
  • BLS's published All Occupations median in Wisconsin moved from $48,930 in May 2024 to $50,270 in May 2025 (+2.7%).
  • Across the 54 states and territories priced in both releases, the median place changed +2.7%.
  • Wisconsin sits -0.0 pp near that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.

Physicians, All Other shows the widest statewide vs national median gap in Wisconsin

Physicians, All Other publishes $391,740 here versus $265,930 nationally (+47.3%; 6,350statewide jobs). Next is Bartenders at $23,460 locally versus $34,340 nationally (-31.7%).

  1. Physicians, All Other$391,740 in Wisconsin sits 47.3% above the national Physicians, All Other median of $265,930 (6,350 published local jobs).
  2. Bartenders$23,460 in Wisconsin sits 31.7% below the national Bartenders median of $34,340 (29,520 published local jobs).
  3. Driver/Sales Workers$27,560 in Wisconsin sits 28.9% below the national Driver/Sales Workers median of $38,770 (10,020 published local jobs).
  4. Insurance Sales Agents$79,450 in Wisconsin sits 27.6% above the national Insurance Sales Agents median of $62,280 (7,860 published local jobs).

Physicians, All Other and the other occupations above are descriptive OEWS endpoints for Wisconsin; they are not findings about taxes, employers, or worker experience.

· Source: BLS OEWS May 2025

The Wisconsin OEWS table has a published median for 727 occupations. The displayed top 50 rows have summed published employment of approximately 129,610; that sum does not include the bottom table or rows whose employment is suppressed. BLS publishes means and percentile boundaries only where the corresponding estimate meets its publication standards. Averaging the medians of the top 50 highest-paying occupations gives $213,200 per year. That is only a mean of the displayed upper-tier occupation medians; it is not the BLS All Occupations mean or median and does not describe a typical worker. Published local OEWS areas include Appleton, WI, Eau Claire, WI, Fond du Lac, WI, Green Bay, WI, Janesville-Beloit, WI, Kenosha, WI, then La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN, Madison, WI, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area, Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area, Oshkosh-Neenah, WI. Local OEWS areas in this extract include Appleton, WI, Eau Claire, WI, Fond du Lac, WI, Green Bay, WI, Janesville-Beloit, WI, Kenosha, WI, La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN, Madison, WI, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area, Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area, Oshkosh-Neenah, WI.

At the top of the ranking, Cardiologists pays a Wisconsin median of $636,580, the highest-paying reported occupation in the state. The number-two spot goes to Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric at $572,060, followed by Anesthesiologists at $443,990. At the bottom of the published range, Bartenders has a median of $23,460, making the displayed endpoint ratio 27.1×. The endpoints do not establish a cause or career stage. WageDex has BLS occupation rows for 13 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas assigned to Wisconsin, allowing comparisons below the statewide estimate without treating nonmetropolitan areas as MSAs.

Because Wisconsin publishes 17 OEWS areas, treat the statewide Cardiologists median as a roll-up and re-check the same occupation in Appleton, WI or Eau Claire, WI where BLS releases the row. Tips and commissions stay inside OEWS; benefits and equity do not. Published local OEWS areas include Appleton, WI, Eau Claire, WI, Fond du Lac, WI, Green Bay, WI, Janesville-Beloit, WI, Kenosha, WI, then La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN, Madison, WI, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area, Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area, Oshkosh-Neenah, WI. Local OEWS area names are state-specific; statewide means are not metro offers.

Top-Tier Sample

75

occupations shown below

Avg. Median Salary

$213,200

top 50 occupations

Top Salary

$636,580

Cardiologists

Where Wisconsin ranks by published mean wage

BLS All Occupations annual mean vs. 54 states & territories; local OEWS includes Appleton, WI and Eau Claire, WI, Fond du Lac, WI

$64,270 Bottom 44% higher than 44% of 54 states & territories

$0–$5,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Below this entry. $55,000–$60,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Below this entry. $60,000–$65,000: 16 states & territories (30%). This entry sits in this band. $65,000–$70,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Above this entry. $70,000–$75,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Above this entry. $75,000–$80,000: 4 states & territories (7%). Above this entry. $80,000–$85,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Above this entry. $85,000–$90,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. $90,000–$95,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $95,000–$100,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $100,000–$105,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $105,000–$110,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $110,000–$115,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. This state $0 $115,000 every state & territory, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
Band Count Share
$0–$5,000 0 states & territories 0%
$5,000–$10,000 0 states & territories 0%
$10,000–$15,000 0 states & territories 0%
$15,000–$20,000 0 states & territories 0%
$20,000–$25,000 0 states & territories 0%
$25,000–$30,000 0 states & territories 0%
$30,000–$35,000 0 states & territories 0%
$35,000–$40,000 1 states & territories 2%
$40,000–$45,000 0 states & territories 0%
$45,000–$50,000 1 states & territories 2%
$50,000–$55,000 3 states & territories 6%
$55,000–$60,000 8 states & territories 15%
$60,000–$65,000 (this entry) 16 states & territories 30%
$65,000–$70,000 8 states & territories 15%
$70,000–$75,000 8 states & territories 15%
$75,000–$80,000 4 states & territories 7%
$80,000–$85,000 3 states & territories 6%
$85,000–$90,000 1 states & territories 2%
$90,000–$95,000 0 states & territories 0%
$95,000–$100,000 0 states & territories 0%
$100,000–$105,000 0 states & territories 0%
$105,000–$110,000 0 states & territories 0%
$110,000–$115,000 1 states & territories 2%

$64,270 · 44th percentile of 54 states & territories

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

Wisconsin ranks #30 of 54 by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage ($64,270). It is not the median wage or a prediction for a particular worker.

National-price-equivalent mean: dividing the $64,270 BLS All Occupations mean by the BEA state RPP gives $68,300. Inputs: BEA Regional Price Parity for Wisconsin (RPP 94.1, 2024; 100 = national average, all items, table SARPP). The division is a WageDex calculation, not an after-tax or household-income measure.

Largest OEWS footprints in Wisconsin

Published employment among the top-pay sample, top 15 by jobs

jobs
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

BLS publishes wage data for 727 distinct occupations in Wisconsin. The table below shows the top 50 by median annual wage, reordered by published employment for this reading. Drill into the full top-100 ranking or the fastest-growing list for deeper coverage.

Top-pay occupations in Wisconsin, by employment

View all 100 →

Same top-pay sample as the salary ranking, sorted by published Wisconsin jobs so the title sequence follows the local OEWS mix.

# Occupation Median Salary
1 Software Developers $122,660
2 Financial Managers $139,720
3 Sales Managers $134,870
4 Lawyers $126,760
5 Computer and Information Systems Managers $160,140
6 Medical and Health Services Managers $128,320
7 Physicians, All Other $391,740
8 Pharmacists $148,740
9 Nurse Practitioners $131,980
10 Marketing Managers $133,600
11 Architectural and Engineering Managers $142,060
12 Human Resources Managers $133,490
13 Physician Assistants $133,950
14 Dentists, General $193,690
15 Computer Network Architects $131,720
16 Purchasing Managers $124,990
17 Family Medicine Physicians $290,640
18 General Internal Medicine Physicians $367,160
19 Education Administrators, Postsecondary $124,960
20 Commercial Pilots $129,860
21 Natural Sciences Managers $128,890
22 Nurse Anesthetists $273,170
23 Radiologists $392,610
24 Actuaries $131,640
25 Anesthesiologists $443,990
26 Optometrists $139,720
27 Training and Development Managers $123,640
28 Surgeons, All Other $416,000
29 Psychiatrists $331,070
30 Database Architects $137,810
31 Obstetricians and Gynecologists $304,990
32 Fundraising Managers $123,090
33 Pediatricians, General $269,790
34 Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric $572,060
35 Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric $213,890
36 Cardiologists $636,580
37 Nurse Midwives $133,070
38 Physicists $173,120
39 Dermatologists $440,710
40 Law Teachers, Postsecondary $140,940
41 Neurologists $342,520
42 Podiatrists $185,100
43 Advertising and Promotions Managers $131,530
44 Orthodontists $212,860
45 Medical Dosimetrists $142,300
46 Materials Scientists $137,700
47 Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers $132,250
48 Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers $121,620
49 Chief Executives $208,350
50 Compensation and Benefits Managers $127,920

Lowest Paying Jobs in Wisconsin

Occupation Median Salary
Bartenders $23,460
Passenger Attendants $24,650
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers $27,080
Driver/Sales Workers $27,560
Taxi Drivers $27,820
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop $28,060
Cooks, Short Order $28,130
Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants $28,540
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers $28,570
Fast Food and Counter Workers $28,600
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers $28,780
Cooks, Fast Food $28,920
Dishwashers $29,070
Waiters and Waitresses $29,670
Tour and Travel Guides $30,160
Animal Caretakers $30,160
Amusement and Recreation Attendants $30,180
Cashiers $30,880
Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders $30,930
Baggage Porters and Bellhops $31,200
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other $31,240
Parking Attendants $31,270
Childcare Workers $32,460
Information and Record Clerks, All Other $32,470
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals $32,970

Fastest Growing Jobs

View all 50 →

See national growth projections alongside the published OEWS state employment estimates for each occupation in Wisconsin. Based on BLS employment projections 2024-2034.

Salary Guides

Best States for Salaries

Which states pay the most and why

Salary vs. Cost of Living

Compare local wage and price-level benchmarks

Fastest Growing Occupations

Where the job growth is heading

Nationwide states with similar All Occupations pay or employment scale

Two BLS OEWS peer sets outside Wisconsin. Local metro cards below stay inside this state; these neighborhoods are cross-state nearest neighbors on published All Occupations mean wage ($64,270 here) and reported employment (2,941,540 jobs here).

Similar mean wage

Nearest other states by BLS All Occupations annual mean wage.

Similar employment scale

Nearest headcount peers (floor 250,000 All Occupations jobs), distinct from the mean-wage column.

Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS All Occupations mean annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude states already listed in the mean-wage column so the two link sets stay distinct.

Local OEWS areas and related Wisconsin pages

Published local OEWS areas include Appleton, WI, Eau Claire, WI, Fond du Lac, WI, Green Bay, WI, Janesville-Beloit, WI, Kenosha, WI, then La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN, Madison, WI, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area, Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area, Oshkosh-Neenah, WI.

Appleton, WI

Local OEWS wage area

Eau Claire, WI

Local OEWS wage area

Fond du Lac, WI

Local OEWS wage area

Green Bay, WI

Local OEWS wage area

Janesville-Beloit, WI

Local OEWS wage area

Kenosha, WI

Local OEWS wage area

Highest Paying in Wisconsin

Top 100 by median salary

Fastest Growing in Wisconsin

Projected 2024-2034 growth

Cardiologists

National occupation profile

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average of the top 50 occupation medians in Wisconsin? ▼
The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians is $213,200/year (BLS OEWS May 2025). It is not the statewide mean or median and does not describe the wage of a typical worker.
What is the average salary in Wisconsin? ▼
BLS publishes an All Occupations annual mean wage of $64,270/year for Wisconsin in the May 2025 OEWS release, which ranks 30th among the 54 states and territories with a published mean. Published local OEWS areas include Appleton, WI, Eau Claire, WI, Fond du Lac, WI, Green Bay, WI, Janesville-Beloit, WI, Kenosha, WI, then La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN, Madison, WI, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area, Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area, Oshkosh-Neenah, WI. This is an occupational wage estimate, not a household-income statistic or a prediction for one worker.
What is the highest paying job in Wisconsin? ▼
The highest paying occupation in Wisconsin is Cardiologists with a median salary of $636,580/year according to BLS data. The second highest is Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric at $572,060/year.
What jobs pay the least in Wisconsin? ▼
The lowest published occupation median in this Wisconsin ranking is Bartenders at $23,460/year. The table does not classify that occupation as entry-level or explain why its median is lowest.
How many local BLS wage areas are shown for Wisconsin? ▼
WageDex has occupation-level wage rows for 13 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas assigned to Wisconsin. Published local OEWS areas include Appleton, WI, Eau Claire, WI, Fond du Lac, WI, Green Bay, WI, Janesville-Beloit, WI, Kenosha, WI, then La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN, Madison, WI, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area, Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area, Oshkosh-Neenah, WI. Nonmetropolitan reporting areas are not MSAs. Compare the same occupation and statistic across areas; published coverage can differ by occupation and geography.
How many occupations are shown for Wisconsin? ▼
BLS publishes wage data for 727 distinct occupations in Wisconsin. The 50 occupations in the displayed upper tier have a combined OEWS employment estimate of approximately 129,610 jobs in covered establishments.

Local-area sources inside Wisconsin

BLS OEWS state wage tables → BLS OEWS metro area tables → BLS LAUS unemployment → BEA personal income by state →

What to do with this data

How to use Wisconsin wage data in a real decision

  • Wisconsin has 17 published OEWS areas starting with Appleton, WI; open Cardiologists inside a metro before using the statewide $636,580 median. Appleton, WI
  • Inside Wisconsin, re-check Cardiologists in Appleton, WI, Eau Claire, WI, Fond du Lac, WI, Green Bay, WI or Janesville-Beloit, WI before treating the statewide median as a metro offer. Appleton, WI
  • Open Cardiologists for percentile bands and local-area rows; Wisconsin's statewide median of $636,580 uses a different geography than any single metro estimate. Cardiologists
  • The published Wisconsin range runs from Bartenders at $23,460 to Cardiologists at $636,580; an offer still depends on the exact role and employer. Salary calculator

BLS OEWS estimates reflect the May 2025 reference period and exclude self-employed workers; some small occupation-area cells are suppressed.

Last updated: May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

State-level employment totals and local-area breakouts from BLS OEWS State and Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, May 2025. Local areas can be metropolitan or nonmetropolitan.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. State wage figures are computed directly from BLS OEWS state-level data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Statewide figures are estimates and may not reflect pay in your specific local wage area or employer.