Question 1

What is the cost of living in Wisconsin?

Accepted Answer

Wisconsin's overall price level (BEA Regional Price Parity) is 94.33, where 100 equals the U.S. average. That means everyday goods, services, and housing cost about 5.7% less than the national average. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom is $1,202/month.

Question 2

What is the average salary in Wisconsin?

Accepted Answer

Across the 100 BLS-tracked occupation categories with published data in Wisconsin, the average median wage is $158,421. The single highest-paying occupation here is Cardiologists at $636,580/year (BLS OEWS).

Question 3

What are the highest-paying jobs in Wisconsin?

Accepted Answer

Based on BLS OEWS data, the top-paying occupations in Wisconsin are: 1) Cardiologists at $636,580; 2) Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric at $572,060; 3) Anesthesiologists at $443,990; 4) Dermatologists at $440,710; 5) Surgeons, All Other at $416,000. Click any occupation above to see the full wage breakdown (10th to 90th percentile).

Question 4

How much does it cost to rent a 2-bedroom apartment in Wisconsin?

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a 2-bedroom unit in Wisconsin is $1,202/month. FMR is the rent level HUD uses to administer housing assistance and reflects the 40th percentile of standard-quality rentals, updated annually.

Question 5

Where does AffordMap's Wisconsin data come from?

Accepted Answer

Salary figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. Cost of living comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (RPP). Rent comes from HUD Fair Market Rents. All three are federal datasets, updated annually, and free to use. AffordMap pairs them so you can see what a salary actually buys after local costs.

Rank	Occupation	Category	Median salary	Hourly
51	Personal Financial Advisors	Business & Finance	$119K	$57.42/hr
52	General and Operations Managers	Management	$119K	$57.08/hr
53	Sales Engineers	Sales	$118K	$56.71/hr
54	Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary	Management	$117K	N/A
55	Construction Managers	Management	$114K	$54.9/hr
56	Public Relations Managers	Management	$114K	$54.8/hr
57	Clinical and Counseling Psychologists	Science	$113K	$54.5/hr
58	Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary	Education	$113K	N/A
59	Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers	Engineering	$110K	$53.09/hr
60	Engineers, All Other	Engineering	$110K	$53.06/hr

Top Paying Jobs in Wisconsin

Highest paying careers in Wisconsin

Affordability snapshot: Wisconsin

Metro areas in Wisconsin