Costume Attendants Salary
Costume Attendants in Wisconsin make a median of $38,470 a year, or about $18.5 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $68K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.33), which stretches that salary to about $40,782 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,202/month, about 45.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Wisconsin. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $38K get you in Wisconsin?
About costume attendants
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What this looks like in Wisconsin
Pay for costume attendants in Wisconsin runs about 24% below the U.S. median of $50K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,202/month, which is 45.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.33 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for costume attendantss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wisconsin
Entry-level costume attendants (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $68K or more, a $36K spread from bottom to top.
Costume Attendants salary by metro in Wisconsin
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $40K | +5% | 70 |
| Madison | $39K | +2% | 40 |
Compare to other states
Track costume attendants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Wisconsin numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a costume attendant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wisconsin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 45.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,202/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for costume attendants in Wisconsin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new costume attendants typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,877/month. At HUD’s $1,202/month FMR, rent would take 64% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is costume attendant a high-paying job in Wisconsin?
Local pay runs 24% below the national median — $38K here vs. $50K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Wisconsin compare to the national average for costume attendants?
Wisconsin pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s -24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.33), the purchasing-power equivalent is $41K — below the national median.
How much do costume attendants make in Wisconsin?
The median is $38,470 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,280, and experienced costume attendants can clear $67,610. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Wisconsin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,661/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,202/month, which eats 45.2% 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 costume attendants salary go in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin has a Regional Price Parity of 94.33 (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 costume attendants salary is worth about $40,782 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do costume attendants 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.