How Much Does an LPN Make in Madison, WI in 2026?
Typical pay for LPNs in Madison, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Wisconsin.
BLS OES May 2025 · Madison metro area
A typical LPN in Madison, Wisconsin earns $31.04 per hour, or $64,550 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $5,379 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $55,800, and the top 10% of earners make over $79,370.
That pay is 1% above the Wisconsin figure of $63,760 and right at the national figure of $64,400. Madison ranks 7th of 14 metro areas in Wisconsin for LPN pay. About 650 LPNs work in the Madison area.
LPN pay in Madison at a glance
- Typical pay is $31.04 an hour, or $64,550 a year.
- That is 1% above the Wisconsin figure, ranking 7th of 14 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $55,800; the top 10% make over $79,370.
- Typical pay rose +41% from 2015 to 2025, against +47% for Wisconsin as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an LPN make in Madison?
Pay in Madison runs from entry-level positions at around $26.83 an hour to more than $38.16 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Wisconsin and national figures.
LPN pay by career stage in Madison
| Career stage | Madison | Wisconsin | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $55,800$26.83 an hour | $51,820$24.91 an hour | $49,740$23.91 an hour |
| First years | $60,730$29.20 an hour | $59,620$28.67 an hour | $59,000$28.37 an hour |
| Typical LPN | $64,550$31.04 an hour | $63,760$30.65 an hour | $64,400$30.96 an hour |
| Experienced | $75,260$36.19 an hour | $75,010$36.06 an hour | $76,030$36.55 an hour |
| Top 10% | $79,370$38.16 an hour | $78,490$37.73 an hour | $83,440$40.12 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Madison area as BLS defines it
LPN pay growth in Madison
Typical (median) annual wage for LPNs in the Madison area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical LPN pay in Madison was $45,720 a year. By 2025 it had reached $64,550, a change of +41%, compared with +47% for Wisconsin over the same years.
How Madison compares with other Wisconsin cities
Bloomington pays LPNs the most in Wisconsin at $65,660 a year, $1,110 more than Madison. The lowest-paying area in the state is Wausau at $60,360.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Madison | LPNs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bloomington metro incl. St. Paul | $65,660 | $31.57 | +2% | 6,300 |
| 2 | Milwaukee metro incl. Waukesha | $65,410 | $31.45 | +1% | 1,890 |
| 3 | Kenosha | $65,350 | $31.42 | +1% | 250 |
| 4 | Appleton | $65,300 | $31.39 | +1% | 370 |
| 5 | Fond du Lac | $65,270 | $31.38 | +1% | 160 |
| 6 | Mount Pleasant metro incl. Racine | $64,850 | $31.18 | 0% | 180 |
| 7 | Madison | $64,550 | $31.04 | this city | 650 |
| 8 | Janesville metro incl. Beloit | $64,000 | $30.77 | -1% | 190 |
| 9 | La Crosse metro incl. Onalaska | $63,950 | $30.74 | -1% | 260 |
| 10 | Sheboygan | $62,820 | $30.20 | -3% | 160 |
| 11 | Oshkosh metro incl. Neenah | $60,960 | $29.31 | -6% | 270 |
| 12 | Eau Claire | $60,950 | $29.30 | -6% | 250 |
| 13 | Green Bay | $60,790 | $29.23 | -6% | 600 |
| 14 | Wausau | $60,360 | $29.02 | -6% | 150 |
Every metro area in Wisconsin with LPN wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Wisconsin typical pay $63,760
Is Madison a good place to work as an LPN?
LPN pay in Madison sits close to the national figure: $64,550 a year, right at the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Madison area, about 1.6 are LPN positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 4.2. That makes LPNs a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an LPN make in Madison, WI?
- A typical LPN in Madison earns $64,550 a year, or $31.04 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $55,800 and the top 10% earn over $79,370.
- How much does an LPN make an hour in Madison?
- Typical hourly pay for LPNs in Madison is $31.04. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $26.83, and the top 10% earn over $38.16 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an LPN in Madison?
- Entry-level LPN positions in Madison typically offer around $26.83 an hour, or $55,800 a year.
- Is LPN pay in Madison higher than in the rest of Wisconsin?
- Madison pay is 1% above the Wisconsin figure of $63,760 a year, ranking 7th of 14 metro areas in the state. Bloomington pays the most in Wisconsin at $65,660.