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Jobs in Wisconsin: pay, hiring and what a paycheck buys

Wisconsin has 2,063 open job postings from 252 employers in our data. 16.4% list a pay range, the median posted pay is $110,000 a year, 4.4% are remote and 21.2% have been open more than 60 days (data as of October 2026).

What stands out

Paycheck power: typical official wage, adjusted for local pricesMedian wage for all jobs divided by the local price level, October 2026. Higher means a paycheck goes further.Paycheck power: typical official wage, adjusted for local pricesColoradoColorado Official median wage: $60,000 Price level: 103.1 Paycheck power: $58,000 Click for the full page$58,000MinnesotaMinnesota Official median wage: $57,000 Price level: 98.6 Paycheck power: $57,500 Click for the full page$57,500MarylandMaryland Official median wage: $59,500 Price level: 105 Paycheck power: $56,500 Click for the full page$56,500WisconsinWisconsin Official median wage: $50,500 Price level: 94.1 Paycheck power: $53,500$53,500MissouriMissouri Official median wage: $48,000 Price level: 90.8 Paycheck power: $52,500 Click for the full page$52,500TennesseeTennessee Official median wage: $47,500 Price level: 91.9 Paycheck power: $51,500 Click for the full page$51,500IndianaIndiana Official median wage: $48,000 Price level: 93.3 Paycheck power: $51,500 Click for the full page$51,500ArizonaArizona Official median wage: $50,000 Price level: 100.7 Paycheck power: $49,500 Click for the full page$49,500Source: Second Summit, October 2026; BLS; BEA; Census
Wisconsin compared with similar-sized states: the median wage divided by the local price level (US average prices = 100). Download this chart (SVG)
2,063open postings from 252 employers
16.4%list a pay range
$110,000median posted pay
$50,500official median wage, all jobs (BLS)
3.4%unemployment rate, 2026-08 (BLS)
115,000job openings, 2025-12 (BLS JOLTS), rate 3.7%

Pay transparency

Wisconsin has no statewide law requiring a pay range in job postings.

Metro areas in Wisconsin

Metro areaPostingsPay listedMedian posted pay
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI2,03237.4%$110,000
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI79615.6%$111,000
Madison, WI34019.5%$103,500
Green Bay, WI1309.5%–

What your paycheck buys here

Prices in Wisconsin run 6% below the national average, and housing runs 21% below it. The official median wage for all jobs is $50,500, which is worth $53,500 in average-US dollars. The median posted pay of $110,000 is worth $117,000.

What things cost here (US average = 100)BEA regional price parities for the Wisconsin metro area, 2024.What things cost here (US average = 100)All itemsAll items: 94.1 6% below the US average (100)94.1HousingHousing: 79.3 21% below the US average (100)79.3GoodsGoods: 94.3 6% below the US average (100)94.3UtilitiesUtilities: 89.9 10% below the US average (100)89.9Other servicesOther services: 99.5 0% below the US average (100)99.5Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
Local prices compared with the national average, where 100 is the US average. Download this chart (SVG)
The area's biggest jobs and what they payOfficial median annual wage for the ten largest occupations in Wisconsin, May 2025.The area's biggest jobs and what they payHome Health and Personal Care (82.4k)Home Health and Personal Care Aides 82,430 workers Median wage: $36,500$36,500Laborers and Freight, Stock, a (70.5k)Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 70,520 workers Median wage: $44,500$44,500Registered Nurses (68.1k)Registered Nurses 68,060 workers Median wage: $95,500$95,500Fast Food and Counter Workers (67.8k)Fast Food and Counter Workers 67,750 workers Median wage: $28,500$28,500Retail Salespersons (67.6k)Retail Salespersons 67,640 workers Median wage: $34,500$34,500Cashiers (65.4k)Cashiers 65,380 workers Median wage: $31,000$31,000Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truc (53.3k)Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 53,330 workers Median wage: $58,500$58,500Office Clerks, General (51.4k)Office Clerks, General 51,440 workers Median wage: $45,000$45,000Customer Service Representativ (50.8k)Customer Service Representatives 50,840 workers Median wage: $47,000$47,000Stockers and Order Fillers (47.6k)Stockers and Order Fillers 47,580 workers Median wage: $35,000$35,000Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Median wages for the ten occupations with the most workers here (worker count in parentheses). Download this chart (SVG)
Open postings by industry of the employerPostings by employer industry in Wisconsin.Open postings by industry of the employerRetail & E-commerceRetail & E-commerce 452 open postings 21.9% of this area's postings452Manufacturing & IndustrialManufacturing & Industrial 417 open postings 20.2% of this area's postings417Healthcare & Life SciencesHealthcare & Life Sciences 374 open postings 18.1% of this area's postings374InsuranceInsurance 154 open postings 7.5% of this area's postings154Software & TechnologySoftware & Technology 138 open postings 6.7% of this area's postings138OtherOther 119 open postings 5.8% of this area's postings119Financial ServicesFinancial Services 95 open postings 4.6% of this area's postings95Energy & UtilitiesEnergy & Utilities 91 open postings 4.4% of this area's postings91Source: Second Summit, October 2026; BLS; BEA; Census
Which industries have the most open postings in our data. Download this chart (SVG)

Employers with the most openings

  1. Mercy Health: 236 postings
  2. Hy-Vee: 131 postings
  3. Meijer: 96 postings
  4. Renuity: 74 postings
  5. Trane Technologies: 65 postings

Federal government hiring

187 federal job announcements open to the public list Wisconsin, with a median posted salary range midpoint of $99,500. Agencies hiring most: Veterans Health Administration (63), Federal Aviation Administration (17), Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System (16), United States Army Installation Management Command (16), Army National Guard Units (13). Source: USAJOBS.

How it compares with similar-sized states

StatePay listedPosted payOfficial wagePricesPaycheck power
Wisconsin16.4%$110,000$50,50094.1$53,500
Missouri17.5%$126,500$48,00090.8$52,500
Minnesota37.9%$105,000$57,00098.6$57,500
Colorado59.3%$137,500$60,000103.1$58,000
Maryland31.3%$120,000$59,500105$56,500
Indiana8.6%$101,500$48,00093.3$51,500
Arizona20.5%$120,000$50,000100.7$49,500

Compare any states side by side

Download this data

Free to use with credit: Second Summit, October 2026. Data (CSV) · Data (JSON) · paycheck power chart (SVG) · prices chart (SVG) · industries chart (SVG) · biggest jobs chart (SVG)

Related pages

A posting that lists several states counts in each. This covers employers whose career pages we read, not every job in Wisconsin. Methodology · All states (CSV)

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