Community Health Workers Salary
Community Health Workers in Madison, WI make a median of $56,040 a year, or about $26.94 an hour. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $69K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.29), that's roughly $57,601 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,168/month, about 31.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $56K actually covers in Madison, month by month
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 community health workers
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What this looks like in Madison
Community health workers pay in Madison tracks closely to the national median, $56K locally vs. $52K nationwide, a 8% difference. Rent runs $1,168/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31% 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. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for community health workers in metros near Madison, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $50K | $51K |
| Eau Claire | $78K | $84K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $50K | $48K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $48K | $46K |
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 community health workers (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $56K. Top earners bring in $69K or more, a $27K spread from bottom to top.
Community Health Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Community Health Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | $67K | +29% | 200 |
| District of Columbia | $63K | +21% | 280 |
| North Dakota | $60K | +15% | 90 |
| Colorado | $59K | +14% | N/A |
| Hawaii | $58K | +13% | 240 |
| New York | $58K | +12% | 5,800 |
| California | $58K | +12% | 9,500 |
| Nevada | $58K | +11% | 670 |
| Washington | $57K | +10% | 2,640 |
| Delaware | $56K | +8% | 280 |
| New Jersey | $56K | +8% | 1,330 |
| Utah | $56K | +7% | 580 |
| Massachusetts | $56K | +7% | 2,970 |
| New Mexico | $55K | +6% | 610 |
| Wyoming | $54K | +4% | 140 |
| Connecticut | $54K | +3% | 290 |
| Oregon | $53K | +3% | 1,980 |
| Rhode Island | $53K | +2% | 520 |
| Idaho | $52K | +0% | 270 |
| Alaska | $52K | +0% | 400 |
| Nebraska | $52K | -0% | 160 |
| Vermont | $52K | -1% | 170 |
| Wisconsin | $51K | -1% | 630 |
| Pennsylvania | $51K | -2% | 1,970 |
| Georgia | $51K | -2% | 490 |
| Ohio | $51K | -2% | 1,910 |
| Maryland | $51K | -3% | 3,030 |
| Montana | $50K | -4% | 330 |
| Michigan | $49K | -5% | 1,890 |
| Illinois | $49K | -5% | 2,040 |
| Arizona | $49K | -6% | 1,140 |
| Virginia | $49K | -6% | 620 |
| Missouri | $49K | -6% | 1,820 |
| Texas | $49K | -6% | 4,210 |
| Maine | $49K | -6% | 360 |
| Kentucky | $48K | -7% | 980 |
| South Carolina | $48K | -7% | 540 |
| Indiana | $48K | -8% | 1,310 |
| Iowa | $48K | -8% | 390 |
| North Carolina | $48K | -8% | 1,680 |
| Minnesota | $48K | -8% | 1,260 |
| Kansas | $47K | -9% | 240 |
| Louisiana | $46K | -10% | 210 |
| Oklahoma | $46K | -12% | 600 |
| South Dakota | $46K | -12% | 270 |
| Florida | $45K | -12% | 1,220 |
| Arkansas | $45K | -13% | N/A |
| Alabama | $43K | -16% | 270 |
| Tennessee | $42K | -18% | 520 |
| Mississippi | $40K | -24% | 410 |
| West Virginia | $38K | -27% | 310 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track community health workers salary changes
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a community health worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Madison?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $56K, rent takes 31% 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 $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for community health workers in Madison?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new community health workers typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,891/month. At HUD’s $1,168/month FMR, rent would take 40% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is community health worker a high-paying job in Madison?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $56K locally vs. $52K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Madison compare to the national average for community health workers?
Madison pays $56K median vs. the U.S. average of $52K — that’s +8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.29), the purchasing-power equivalent is $58K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do community health workers make in Madison, WI?
The median is $56,040 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,110, and experienced community health workers can clear $69,240. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $56K enough to live in Madison?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,762/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,168/month, which eats 31% 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 community health workers 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 community health workers salary is worth about $57,601 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do community health workers 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.