Cashiers Salary
Cashiers in Madison, WI make a median of $34,550 a year, or about $16.61 an hour. The range runs from $26K at the entry level to $40K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.29), that's roughly $35,512 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,168/month, about 49.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $35K 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 cashiers
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Madison
Cashiers pay in Madison tracks closely to the national median, $35K locally vs. $33K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,168/month, which is 48.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. 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 cashiers in metros near Madison, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $30K | $31K |
| Green Bay | $30K | $33K |
| Appleton | $32K | $34K |
| Eau Claire | $31K | $34K |
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 cashiers (10th percentile) start around $26K. Mid-career wages sit at $35K. Top earners bring in $40K or more, a $15K spread from bottom to top.
Cashiers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Cashiers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $39K | +18% | 6,060 |
| Washington | $39K | +18% | 61,050 |
| California | $37K | +13% | 336,110 |
| Colorado | $37K | +12% | 51,670 |
| Hawaii | $37K | +12% | 10,780 |
| Alaska | $36K | +10% | 5,810 |
| Vermont | $36K | +9% | 7,030 |
| Connecticut | $36K | +8% | 30,920 |
| Massachusetts | $36K | +8% | 58,880 |
| New York | $36K | +8% | 158,890 |
| Oregon | $35K | +7% | 37,660 |
| Maine | $35K | +6% | 14,240 |
| Rhode Island | $35K | +6% | 9,260 |
| Minnesota | $35K | +5% | 58,190 |
| Arizona | $35K | +5% | 72,570 |
| New Jersey | $35K | +5% | 107,680 |
| Illinois | $34K | +5% | 139,630 |
| Maryland | $34K | +5% | 49,910 |
| Montana | $34K | +4% | 12,170 |
| New Hampshire | $34K | +3% | 17,250 |
| Delaware | $33K | +2% | 11,450 |
| Utah | $32K | -4% | 22,940 |
| North Dakota | $31K | -4% | 9,510 |
| Wisconsin | $31K | -6% | 65,380 |
| Wyoming | $31K | -6% | 5,840 |
| Virginia | $31K | -7% | 83,890 |
| Florida | $31K | -7% | 201,370 |
| Missouri | $31K | -7% | 69,430 |
| Idaho | $30K | -8% | 17,200 |
| Nebraska | $30K | -8% | 20,650 |
| New Mexico | $30K | -8% | 19,020 |
| Nevada | $30K | -9% | 30,160 |
| South Dakota | $30K | -9% | 12,860 |
| Michigan | $30K | -10% | 92,930 |
| Indiana | $30K | -10% | 68,350 |
| Ohio | $29K | -11% | 103,020 |
| Texas | $29K | -11% | 245,730 |
| Pennsylvania | $29K | -11% | 110,950 |
| Georgia | $29K | -12% | 97,540 |
| Iowa | $29K | -12% | 41,450 |
| North Carolina | $29K | -12% | 106,440 |
| Kansas | $29K | -12% | 33,080 |
| Kentucky | $29K | -13% | 44,550 |
| Tennessee | $29K | -13% | 63,350 |
| South Carolina | $29K | -13% | 56,550 |
| Alabama | $28K | -14% | 46,420 |
| Oklahoma | $28K | -14% | 41,140 |
| Arkansas | $28K | -16% | 28,270 |
| Louisiana | $27K | -19% | 46,350 |
| Mississippi | $26K | -20% | 30,490 |
| West Virginia | $26K | -20% | 17,360 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track cashiers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Madison numbers change.
Related careers in Sales
Frequently asked questions
Can a cashier afford a 2BR apartment alone in Madison?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $35K, rent takes 48.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,168/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cashiers in Madison?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cashiers typically earn — is $26K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,544/month. At HUD’s $1,168/month FMR, rent would take 76% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is cashier a high-paying job in Madison?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $35K locally vs. $33K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Madison compare to the national average for cashiers?
Madison pays $35K median vs. the U.S. average of $33K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.29), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cashiers make in Madison, WI?
The median is $34,550 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $25,730, and experienced cashiers can clear $40,300. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $35K enough to live in Madison?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,414/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,168/month, which eats 48.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a cashiers 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 cashiers salary is worth about $35,512 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cashiers 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.