Wisconsin Salary Guide — What Every Role Pays by City
Average salary across all roles in Wisconsin: $52,668/yr. Highest-paying role: Operations Manager.
Last updated: 2026-07-23 · Source: BLS OEWS May 2025
Average Salary by Role in Wisconsin
Each figure is the average of the role's median pay across the 2 Wisconsin metros we track. 20 of the roles below link to a full guide with the city-by-city breakdown, career path, and negotiation numbers.
| Role | State Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Operations Manager salary guide | $126,055 |
| Dental Hygienist salary guide | $99,560 |
| Registered Nurse salary guide | $99,275 |
| Plumber salary guide | $84,930 |
| Logistics Coordinator salary guide | $79,235 |
| Electrician salary guide | $78,115 |
| Sales Representative salary guide | $65,365 |
| Warehouse Supervisor salary guide | $64,260 |
| Carpenter salary guide | $63,695 |
| Diesel Mechanic salary guide | $63,385 |
| HVAC Technician salary guide | $63,040 |
| Auto Mechanic salary guide | $61,590 |
| Bus Driver salary guide | $61,360 |
| Truck Driver salary guide | $59,640 |
| Welder salary guide | $59,460 |
| Construction Laborer salary guide | $57,215 |
| Maintenance Technician salary guide | $56,825 |
| Painter salary guide | $53,555 |
| Dispatcher salary guide | $50,940 |
| Administrative Assistant salary guide | $49,945 |
Averages across 2 major Wisconsin metros. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Salary Data by Wisconsin City
Madison is the highest-paying Wisconsin metro we track ($52,911/yr average median) and Milwaukee the lowest ($52,430/yr) — a spread of about 1%. Use the per-role guides above to see whether your job follows that pattern before negotiating.
| City | Avg Median Pay (All Roles) | Top-Paying Tracked Role |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | $52,430 | Operations Manager in Milwaukee — $125,490 |
| Madison | $52,911 | — |
City averages for Wisconsin cover the roles with BLS OEWS May 2025 data in each metro; 1 city links to a per-role salary page.
How to use these numbers
The medians here are the middle of what employers actually pay, not the top of a range from a job ad. If an offer in Wisconsin comes in under the median for your role and metro, that is your opening to negotiate — bring the BLS figure, not a guess. And if a posting hides pay entirely, the per-role guides linked above show what the market rate is before you apply.