Highway Maintenance Workers Salary
In Wisconsin, highway maintenance workers earn $58,000 at the median, or about $27.88 an hour. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $66K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.33), which stretches that salary to about $61,486 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,202/month, about 31.5% 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 $58K get you in Wisconsin?
About highway maintenance workers
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What this looks like in Wisconsin
Wisconsin sits well above the national pay line for highway maintenance workers, local pay runs about 15% higher than the U.S. median of $50K. Rent runs $1,202/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wisconsin
Entry-level highway maintenance workers (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $58K. Top earners bring in $66K or more, a $23K spread from bottom to top.
Highway Maintenance Workers salary by metro in Wisconsin
13 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fond du Lac | $65K | +12% | 100 |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant | $65K | +11% | 110 |
| Kenosha | $64K | +10% | 100 |
| Madison | $64K | +10% | 670 |
| Green Bay | $62K | +6% | 340 |
| Appleton | $61K | +5% | 180 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $61K | +5% | 620 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah | $60K | +4% | 170 |
| Sheboygan | $60K | +3% | 150 |
| La Crosse-Onalaska | $59K | +2% | 140 |
| Janesville-Beloit | $58K | +0% | 110 |
| Eau Claire | $57K | -1% | 120 |
| Wausau | $53K | -9% | 120 |
Showing 1–10 of 13 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Wisconsin numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a highway maintenance worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wisconsin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $58K, rent takes 30.9% 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 $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for highway maintenance workers in Wisconsin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new highway maintenance workers typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,578/month. At HUD’s $1,202/month FMR, rent would take 47% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is highway maintenance worker a high-paying job in Wisconsin?
Local pay is 15% above the national median — $58K here vs. $50K nationally.
How does Wisconsin compare to the national average for highway maintenance workers?
Wisconsin pays $58K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s +15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.33), the purchasing-power equivalent is $61K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do highway maintenance workers make in Wisconsin?
The median is $58,000 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,970, and experienced highway maintenance workers can clear $66,150. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $58K enough to live in Wisconsin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,884/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,202/month, which eats 30.9% 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 highway maintenance workers 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 highway maintenance workers salary is worth about $61,486 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do highway maintenance 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.