In Madison, 22.1% of the 258 job postings we track list a pay range, and the median posted pay is $104,500 a year. 9.7% are remote, 8.5% are entry level, and 43.8% have been open for more than 60 days (data as of October 2026).
What stands out
A $103,500 posted salary in the Madison area buys about what $106,500 buys in the average US metro area, because prices here run 3% below the national average.
After adjusting for local prices, the typical worker's official median wage ($58,000) is worth $59,500 in average-US dollars, 8th of 99 metro areas.
8.5% of postings are entry-level, 92nd of 99 metro areas.
The unemployment rate is 2.9%, 1.2 points below the median of the metro areas in this report.
7.6% of postings are remote, 17th highest of 99 metro areas.
Madison compared with similar-sized metro areas: the median wage divided by the local price level (US average prices = 100). Download this chart (SVG)
258open postings from 69 employers
22.1%list a pay range (#45 of 71 published cities)
$104,500median posted pay (middle half: $83,500 to $146,500), from 46 postings with pay
9.7%remote, 0% hybrid
34 daysmedian time a posting has been open; 43.8% over 60 days
$58,000official median wage for all jobs in the metro area (BLS)
8.5%entry-level postings
WI has no statewide law requiring a pay range in job postings.
Madison is part of the Madison, WI metro area, with suburbs and nearby towns broken out.
The metro area's unemployment rate was 2.9% in 2026-08 (2.6% a year earlier) (BLS, not seasonally adjusted). Across Wisconsin, employers had 115,000 job openings in 2025-12, an openings rate of 3.7% (BLS JOLTS). Indeed's own measure of job postings in the metro area is 5.8% below its February 2020 level and 8.6% higher than a year ago (Indeed Hiring Lab, 2026-10-02).
Who is hiring, by industry
Industry
Postings
Retail & E-commerce
76
Insurance
35
Manufacturing & Industrial
32
Other
32
Energy & Utilities
20
Healthcare & Life Sciences
19
Software & Technology
15
Employers with the most openings
Hy-Vee: 46 postings
Renuity: 20 postings
Careers Jpcullen: 19 postings
Boxlunch: 15 postings
Cottinghambutlerinsuranceservicesinc: 13 postings
What your paycheck buys here
Prices in the Madison, WI area run 3% below the national average, and housing runs 0% below it. The official median wage for all jobs is $58,000, which is worth $59,500 in average-US dollars. The median posted pay of $103,500 is worth $106,500.
Local prices compared with the national average, where 100 is the US average. Download this chart (SVG)Median wages for the ten occupations with the most workers here (worker count in parentheses). Download this chart (SVG)Which industries have the most open postings in our data. Download this chart (SVG)
Postings that list several cities count in each one. This covers employers whose career pages we read, not every job in Madison. Methodology · All cities (CSV)
