How Much Does an RN Make in Madison, WI in 2026?
Typical pay for RNs 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 RN in Madison, Wisconsin earns $48.65 per hour, or $101,190 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $8,433 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $81,760, and the top 10% of earners make over $123,240.
That pay is 6% above the Wisconsin figure of $95,530 and 4% above the national figure of $97,550. Madison ranks 2nd of 14 metro areas in Wisconsin for RN pay. About 10,650 RNs work in the Madison area.
RN pay in Madison at a glance
- Typical pay is $48.65 an hour, or $101,190 a year.
- That is 6% above the Wisconsin figure, ranking 2nd of 14 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $81,760; the top 10% make over $123,240.
- Typical pay rose +37% from 2015 to 2025, against +47% for Wisconsin as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an RN make in Madison?
Pay in Madison runs from entry-level positions at around $39.31 an hour to more than $59.25 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Wisconsin and national figures.
RN pay by career stage in Madison
| Career stage | Madison | Wisconsin | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $81,760$39.31 an hour | $77,470$37.24 an hour | $68,940$33.14 an hour |
| First years | $87,270$41.96 an hour | $81,920$39.39 an hour | $80,330$38.62 an hour |
| Typical RN | $101,190$48.65 an hour | $95,530$45.93 an hour | $97,550$46.90 an hour |
| Experienced | $103,150$49.59 an hour | $102,610$49.33 an hour | $112,350$54.02 an hour |
| Top 10% | $123,240$59.25 an hour | $119,860$57.63 an hour | $137,470$66.09 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Madison area as BLS defines it
RN pay growth in Madison
Typical (median) annual wage for RNs in the Madison area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical RN pay in Madison was $73,910 a year. By 2025 it had reached $101,190, a change of +37%, compared with +47% for Wisconsin over the same years.
How Madison compares with other Wisconsin cities
St. Paul pays RNs the most in Wisconsin at $103,040 a year, $1,850 more than Madison. The lowest-paying area in the state is Kenosha at $83,110.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Madison | RNs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Paul metro incl. Bloomington | $103,040 | $49.54 | +2% | 43,600 |
| 2 | Madison | $101,190 | $48.65 | this city | 10,650 |
| 3 | La Crosse metro incl. Onalaska | $98,370 | $47.29 | -3% | 2,920 |
| 4 | Milwaukee metro incl. Waukesha | $97,360 | $46.81 | -4% | 22,400 |
| 5 | Fond du Lac | $93,890 | $45.14 | -7% | 960 |
| 6 | Eau Claire | $93,410 | $44.91 | -8% | 2,420 |
| 7 | Beloit metro incl. Janesville | $93,030 | $44.72 | -8% | 1,680 |
| 8 | Wausau | $89,190 | $42.88 | -12% | 1,830 |
| 9 | Racine metro incl. Mount Pleasant | $89,090 | $42.83 | -12% | 1,510 |
| 10 | Neenah metro incl. Oshkosh | $87,340 | $41.99 | -14% | 2,050 |
| 11 | Appleton | $86,680 | $41.67 | -14% | 2,310 |
| 12 | Green Bay | $84,700 | $40.72 | -16% | 4,680 |
| 13 | Sheboygan | $84,240 | $40.50 | -17% | 1,130 |
| 14 | Kenosha | $83,110 | $39.96 | -18% | 1,730 |
Every metro area in Wisconsin with RN wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Wisconsin typical pay $95,530
Is Madison a good place to work as an RN?
RN pay in Madison sits close to the national figure: $101,190 a year, 4% above the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Madison area, about 26 are RN positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 22. That makes the local economy more reliant on RNs than most places, and turnover keeps positions opening through the year.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an RN make in Madison, WI?
- A typical RN in Madison earns $101,190 a year, or $48.65 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $81,760 and the top 10% earn over $123,240.
- How much does an RN make an hour in Madison?
- Typical hourly pay for RNs in Madison is $48.65. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $39.31, and the top 10% earn over $59.25 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an RN in Madison?
- Entry-level RN positions in Madison typically offer around $39.31 an hour, or $81,760 a year.
- Is RN pay in Madison higher than in the rest of Wisconsin?
- Madison pay is 6% above the Wisconsin figure of $95,530 a year, ranking 2nd of 14 metro areas in the state. St. Paul pays the most in Wisconsin at $103,040.