Broadcast Technicians Salary
In Madison, WI, broadcast technicians earn $65,990 at the median, or about $31.73 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $82K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.29), that's roughly $67,828 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,168/month, or 26.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $66K 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 broadcast technicians
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What this looks like in Madison
Madison sits well above the national pay line for broadcast technicians, local pay runs about 11% higher than the U.S. median of $60K. Rent runs $1,168/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 26.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.29) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for broadcast technicians in metros near Madison, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $75K | $77K |
| Green Bay | $62K | $66K |
| Peoria | $40K | $44K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $96K | $93K |
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 broadcast technicians (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $82K or more, a $51K spread from bottom to top.
Broadcast Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Broadcast Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $108K | +82% | 290 |
| New Hampshire | $81K | +36% | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $80K | +35% | 950 |
| New York | $79K | +32% | 1,690 |
| Illinois | $74K | +25% | 690 |
| Colorado | $74K | +24% | 820 |
| Nevada | $73K | +23% | 280 |
| Arizona | $73K | +23% | 530 |
| California | $73K | +22% | 2,340 |
| Florida | $65K | +9% | 1,130 |
| Maryland | $64K | +7% | 460 |
| Wisconsin | $62K | +5% | 410 |
| Washington | $62K | +4% | 270 |
| Connecticut | $59K | -1% | 700 |
| Virginia | $58K | -3% | 710 |
| Maine | $55K | -7% | 90 |
| New Mexico | $50K | -16% | 80 |
| Rhode Island | $50K | -17% | 110 |
| Texas | $49K | -17% | 1,380 |
| Hawaii | $49K | -17% | 70 |
| Ohio | $49K | -18% | 430 |
| North Dakota | $48K | -19% | 80 |
| North Carolina | $48K | -20% | 580 |
| Michigan | $48K | -20% | 580 |
| Tennessee | $47K | -21% | 400 |
| Georgia | $47K | -21% | 440 |
| Alabama | $47K | -21% | 220 |
| Massachusetts | $47K | -21% | 560 |
| South Carolina | $47K | -21% | 210 |
| Iowa | $47K | -21% | 180 |
| Minnesota | $47K | -21% | 330 |
| Montana | $47K | -22% | 60 |
| Idaho | $45K | -25% | 90 |
| Oklahoma | $45K | -25% | 240 |
| Louisiana | $44K | -25% | 120 |
| Oregon | $44K | -25% | 220 |
| Indiana | $44K | -25% | 760 |
| Nebraska | $44K | -27% | 160 |
| Arkansas | $42K | -30% | 220 |
| Missouri | $42K | -30% | 300 |
| Kansas | $42K | -30% | 90 |
| Kentucky | $40K | -32% | 230 |
| Wyoming | $39K | -34% | 50 |
| South Dakota | $32K | -46% | 40 |
| Utah | $31K | -47% | 300 |
| Mississippi | $28K | -53% | 60 |
| West Virginia | $27K | -54% | 120 |
Showing 1–10 of 47 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track broadcast technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Madison numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a broadcast technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Madison?
Yes — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 26.8% 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 broadcast technicians in Madison?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new broadcast technicians typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,872/month. At HUD’s $1,168/month FMR, rent would take 62% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is broadcast technician a high-paying job in Madison?
Local pay is 11% above the national median — $66K here vs. $60K nationally.
How does Madison compare to the national average for broadcast technicians?
Madison pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s +11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.29), the purchasing-power equivalent is $68K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do broadcast technicians make in Madison, WI?
The median is $65,990 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,200, and experienced broadcast technicians can clear $82,170. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in Madison?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,363/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,168/month, which eats 26.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a broadcast technicians 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 broadcast technicians salary is worth about $67,828 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do broadcast technicians 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.