Registered Nurses Salary
Registered Nurses in Wisconsin make a median of $95,530 a year, or about $45.93 an hour. The range runs from $77K at the entry level to $120K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.33), which stretches that salary to about $101,272 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,202/month, or 19.9% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Wisconsin. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $96K get you in Wisconsin?
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What this looks like in Wisconsin
Registered nurses pay in Wisconsin tracks closely to the national median, $96K locally vs. $98K nationwide, a 2% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,202/month, 20.2% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. 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 registered nurses (10th percentile) start around $77K. Mid-career wages sit at $96K. Top earners bring in $120K or more, a $42K spread from bottom to top.
Registered Nurses salary by metro in Wisconsin
13 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison | $101K | +6% | 10,650 |
| La Crosse-Onalaska | $98K | +3% | 2,920 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $97K | +2% | 22,400 |
| Fond du Lac | $94K | -2% | 960 |
| Eau Claire | $93K | -2% | 2,420 |
| Janesville-Beloit | $93K | -3% | 1,680 |
| Wausau | $89K | -7% | 1,830 |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant | $89K | -7% | 1,510 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah | $87K | -9% | 2,050 |
| Appleton | $87K | -9% | 2,310 |
| Green Bay | $85K | -11% | 4,680 |
| Sheboygan | $84K | -12% | 1,130 |
| Kenosha | $83K | -13% | 1,730 |
Showing 1–10 of 13 metros
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Track registered nurses salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Wisconsin numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wisconsin?
Yes — at the median salary of $96K, rent takes 20.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,202/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for registered nurses in Wisconsin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new registered nurses typically earn — is $77K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,648/month. At HUD’s $1,202/month FMR, rent would take 26% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is registered nurse a high-paying job in Wisconsin?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $96K locally vs. $98K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Wisconsin compare to the national average for registered nurses?
Wisconsin pays $96K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.33), the purchasing-power equivalent is $101K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do registered nurses make in Wisconsin?
The median is $95,530 a year, that works out to about $46 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $77,470, and experienced registered nurses can clear $119,860. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $96K enough to live in Wisconsin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,965/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,202/month, which eats 20.2% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a registered nurses 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 registered nurses salary is worth about $101,272 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do registered nurses 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.