Athletic Trainers Salary
The median pay for a athletic trainers in Madison, WI is $72,780/year, per BLS data. The range runs from $63K at the entry level to $78K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.29), that's roughly $74,807 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,168/month, or 24.4% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $73K get you in Madison?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Madison’s Regional Price Parity (97.29). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About athletic trainers
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What this looks like in Madison
Madison sits well above the national pay line for athletic trainers, local pay runs about 16% higher than the U.S. median of $63K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,168/month, 24.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 97.29) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Madison offers a genuinely strong financial position for athletic trainerss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for athletic trainers in metros near Madison, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $61K | $63K |
| La Crosse-Onalaska | $62K | $67K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $66K | $64K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $66K | $63K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Madison, WI
Entry-level athletic trainers (10th percentile) start around $63K. Mid-career wages sit at $73K. Top earners bring in $78K or more, a $15K spread from bottom to top.
Athletic Trainers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Athletic Trainers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $78K | +26% | 1,760 |
| Hawaii | $76K | +22% | 200 |
| New Jersey | $76K | +22% | 890 |
| District of Columbia | $74K | +19% | 100 |
| New Mexico | $72K | +16% | 150 |
| Massachusetts | $70K | +12% | 630 |
| Connecticut | $70K | +12% | 290 |
| New York | $66K | +6% | 1,370 |
| Utah | $66K | +6% | 340 |
| Minnesota | $65K | +5% | 820 |
| Illinois | $65K | +4% | 850 |
| Georgia | $65K | +3% | 860 |
| Colorado | $65K | +3% | 380 |
| Texas | $64K | +3% | 3,130 |
| Maryland | $64K | +2% | 320 |
| Washington | $64K | +2% | 240 |
| Rhode Island | $64K | +2% | N/A |
| Wyoming | $63K | +1% | 60 |
| Vermont | $63K | +1% | 140 |
| Indiana | $63K | +0% | 1,040 |
| Louisiana | $63K | +0% | 810 |
| Maine | $62K | -1% | 180 |
| Virginia | $62K | -1% | 830 |
| Wisconsin | $62K | -1% | 620 |
| Arizona | $62K | -1% | 590 |
| Ohio | $61K | -2% | 2,100 |
| Florida | $61K | -2% | 1,430 |
| Oklahoma | $61K | -2% | 360 |
| Pennsylvania | $61K | -2% | 1,870 |
| Nebraska | $61K | -2% | 270 |
| North Dakota | $61K | -3% | 110 |
| Kentucky | $61K | -3% | 720 |
| Idaho | $60K | -3% | 170 |
| New Hampshire | $60K | -4% | 210 |
| Montana | $60K | -4% | 50 |
| Tennessee | $60K | -4% | 580 |
| Nevada | $60K | -4% | 180 |
| Delaware | $60K | -5% | 50 |
| Michigan | $59K | -5% | 870 |
| South Carolina | $59K | -5% | 530 |
| Kansas | $59K | -5% | 390 |
| Missouri | $59K | -6% | 510 |
| South Dakota | $59K | -6% | 150 |
| Mississippi | $58K | -7% | 200 |
| Oregon | $58K | -8% | 280 |
| Arkansas | $57K | -8% | 240 |
| North Carolina | $57K | -10% | 990 |
| Iowa | $55K | -11% | 570 |
| West Virginia | $51K | -19% | 110 |
| Alabama | $47K | -25% | 840 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track athletic trainers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Madison numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a athletic trainer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Madison?
Yes — at the median salary of $73K, rent takes 24.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,168/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for athletic trainers in Madison?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new athletic trainers typically earn — is $63K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,766/month. At HUD’s $1,168/month FMR, rent would take 31% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is athletic trainer a high-paying job in Madison?
Local pay is 16% above the national median — $73K here vs. $63K nationally.
How does Madison compare to the national average for athletic trainers?
Madison pays $73K median vs. the U.S. average of $63K — that’s +16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.29), the purchasing-power equivalent is $75K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do athletic trainers make in Madison, WI?
The median is $72,780 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $62,760, and experienced athletic trainers can clear $78,170. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $73K enough to live in Madison?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,731/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,168/month, which eats 24.7% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a athletic trainers salary go in Madison?
Madison has a Regional Price Parity of 97.29 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median athletic trainers salary is worth about $74,807 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do athletic trainers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.