Electrician Salary
In Wausau, WI, electricians earn $78,680 at the median, or about $37.83 an hour. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $87K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.65), which stretches that salary to about $84,922 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,147/month, or 22.2% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $79K actually covers in Wausau, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Wausau’s Regional Price Parity (92.65). 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 electricians
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What this looks like in Wausau
Wausau sits well above the national pay line for electricians, local pay runs about 25% higher than the U.S. median of $63K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,147/month, 22.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.65 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, Wausau offers a genuinely strong financial position for electricians at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for electricians in metros near Wausau, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $78K | $80K |
| Madison | $78K | $81K |
| Green Bay | $77K | $83K |
| Appleton | $67K | $72K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wausau, WI
Entry-level electricians (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $79K. Top earners bring in $87K or more, a $45K spread from bottom to top.
Electricians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Electricians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $101K | +60% | 10,590 |
| Illinois | $100K | +58% | 23,120 |
| Hawaii | $96K | +53% | 3,070 |
| Washington | $95K | +51% | 19,380 |
| Alaska | $89K | +42% | 1,870 |
| Massachusetts | $79K | +26% | 17,810 |
| District of Columbia | $79K | +25% | 2,440 |
| New York | $79K | +25% | 40,130 |
| Minnesota | $78K | +24% | 14,350 |
| Connecticut | $78K | +23% | 7,710 |
| New Jersey | $77K | +22% | 13,520 |
| Montana | $77K | +21% | 2,750 |
| Wisconsin | $77K | +21% | 14,310 |
| Michigan | $76K | +21% | 23,530 |
| California | $76K | +21% | 73,310 |
| Wyoming | $76K | +20% | 2,960 |
| Maine | $75K | +19% | 3,780 |
| Rhode Island | $74K | +17% | 2,420 |
| Nevada | $74K | +16% | 8,350 |
| Maryland | $73K | +16% | 13,690 |
| Indiana | $68K | +8% | 19,020 |
| Pennsylvania | $68K | +7% | 22,730 |
| Kansas | $66K | +4% | 6,350 |
| North Dakota | $66K | +4% | 3,570 |
| Missouri | $65K | +4% | 12,780 |
| West Virginia | $65K | +3% | 4,290 |
| Ohio | $65K | +2% | 28,950 |
| Delaware | $64K | +1% | 2,260 |
| Vermont | $63K | +0% | 1,270 |
| Idaho | $63K | -0% | 5,690 |
| Virginia | $63K | -0% | 23,630 |
| New Hampshire | $63K | -1% | 3,330 |
| Colorado | $62K | -2% | 17,010 |
| Utah | $62K | -2% | 11,450 |
| Louisiana | $62K | -3% | 10,550 |
| South Dakota | $61K | -3% | 2,980 |
| Tennessee | $61K | -3% | 17,070 |
| Arizona | $61K | -3% | 21,140 |
| Oklahoma | $61K | -3% | 8,500 |
| Mississippi | $61K | -4% | 6,610 |
| Iowa | $61K | -4% | 10,310 |
| Nebraska | $61K | -4% | 6,440 |
| Kentucky | $60K | -5% | 11,030 |
| South Carolina | $59K | -7% | 8,010 |
| Texas | $59K | -7% | 76,770 |
| New Mexico | $58K | -8% | 5,020 |
| Georgia | $58K | -8% | 21,650 |
| Florida | $57K | -9% | 49,700 |
| North Carolina | $57K | -10% | 21,640 |
| Alabama | $56K | -12% | 10,900 |
| Arkansas | $49K | -22% | 7,500 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track electricians salary changes
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a electrician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wausau?
Yes — at the median salary of $79K, rent takes 22.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,147/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for electricians in Wausau?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new electricians typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,854/month. At HUD’s $1,147/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 electrician a high-paying job in Wausau?
Local pay is 25% above the national median — $79K here vs. $63K nationally.
How does Wausau compare to the national average for electricians?
Wausau pays $79K median vs. the U.S. average of $63K — that’s +25%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.65), the purchasing-power equivalent is $85K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do electricians make in Wausau, WI?
The median is $78,680 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,530, and experienced electricians can clear $86,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $79K enough to live in Wausau?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,051/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,147/month, which eats 22.7% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a electricians salary go in Wausau?
Wausau has a Regional Price Parity of 92.65 (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 electricians salary is worth about $84,922 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do electricians 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.