Dishwashers Salary
The median pay for a dishwashers in Madison, WI is $32,750/year ($15.75/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $43K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.29), that's roughly $33,662 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,168/month, about 52.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $33K 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 dishwashers
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What this looks like in Madison
Dishwashers pay in Madison tracks closely to the national median, $33K locally vs. $35K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,168/month, which is 50.8% 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 dishwashers in metros near Madison, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $29K | $30K |
| Green Bay | $29K | $31K |
| Appleton | $29K | $32K |
| La Crosse-Onalaska | $29K | $32K |
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 dishwashers (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $33K. Top earners bring in $43K or more, a $21K spread from bottom to top.
Dishwashers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Dishwashers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $40K | +15% | 12,630 |
| District of Columbia | $39K | +11% | 3,580 |
| California | $38K | +9% | 74,160 |
| Colorado | $38K | +9% | 8,500 |
| Hawaii | $38K | +8% | 4,520 |
| Massachusetts | $37K | +7% | 14,100 |
| Illinois | $36K | +4% | 16,250 |
| Oregon | $36K | +4% | 6,680 |
| Vermont | $36K | +3% | 1,280 |
| New Jersey | $36K | +3% | 7,450 |
| Delaware | $36K | +3% | 1,520 |
| Maine | $36K | +2% | 2,940 |
| Connecticut | $36K | +2% | 7,340 |
| New York | $35K | +2% | 30,680 |
| Arizona | $35K | +1% | 10,120 |
| New Hampshire | $35K | +0% | 2,370 |
| Nevada | $35K | +0% | 11,360 |
| Minnesota | $34K | -2% | 8,710 |
| Maryland | $34K | -2% | 9,310 |
| Rhode Island | $34K | -2% | 2,790 |
| Alaska | $34K | -3% | 1,300 |
| Virginia | $33K | -5% | 12,520 |
| Missouri | $32K | -8% | 7,200 |
| Utah | $32K | -9% | 3,650 |
| Michigan | $31K | -10% | 11,510 |
| Florida | $31K | -10% | 40,480 |
| Tennessee | $31K | -12% | 7,810 |
| New Mexico | $31K | -12% | 3,250 |
| North Carolina | $30K | -13% | 12,050 |
| Montana | $30K | -13% | 2,120 |
| North Dakota | $30K | -14% | 800 |
| Pennsylvania | $30K | -14% | 19,570 |
| Idaho | $30K | -14% | 2,730 |
| Nebraska | $30K | -15% | 2,170 |
| Georgia | $30K | -15% | 11,300 |
| Texas | $30K | -15% | 33,630 |
| Wyoming | $30K | -15% | 1,060 |
| Ohio | $30K | -15% | 14,380 |
| Indiana | $29K | -15% | 7,000 |
| Iowa | $29K | -16% | 3,290 |
| South Carolina | $29K | -16% | 7,550 |
| Wisconsin | $29K | -16% | 8,190 |
| Kentucky | $29K | -17% | 4,890 |
| Alabama | $29K | -17% | 3,540 |
| South Dakota | $28K | -19% | 1,240 |
| Kansas | $28K | -19% | 2,480 |
| Arkansas | $28K | -21% | 2,630 |
| Oklahoma | $27K | -21% | 4,060 |
| West Virginia | $26K | -24% | 1,640 |
| Louisiana | $26K | -24% | 4,210 |
| Mississippi | $26K | -24% | 2,880 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track dishwashers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Madison numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a dishwasher afford a 2BR apartment alone in Madison?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $33K, rent takes 50.8% 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 dishwashers in Madison?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new dishwashers typically earn — is $22K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,326/month. At HUD’s $1,168/month FMR, rent would take 88% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is dishwasher a high-paying job in Madison?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $33K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Madison compare to the national average for dishwashers?
Madison pays $33K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.29), the purchasing-power equivalent is $34K — below the national median.
How much do dishwashers make in Madison, WI?
The median is $32,750 a year, that works out to about $16 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $22,100, and experienced dishwashers can clear $42,970. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $33K enough to live in Madison?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,300/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,168/month, which eats 50.8% 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 dishwashers 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 dishwashers salary is worth about $33,662 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do dishwashers 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.