Surveyors Salary
The median pay for a surveyors in Madison, WI is $90,310/year ($43.42/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $64K at the entry level to $106K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.29), that's roughly $92,826 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,168/month, or 20.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $90K 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 surveyors
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What this looks like in Madison
Madison sits well above the national pay line for surveyors, local pay runs about 20% higher than the U.S. median of $75K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,168/month, 20.6% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 97.29) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Madison offers a genuinely strong financial position for surveyorss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for surveyors in metros near Madison, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $81K | $84K |
| Green Bay | $82K | $88K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $80K | $77K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $92K | $88K |
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 surveyors (10th percentile) start around $64K. Mid-career wages sit at $90K. Top earners bring in $106K or more, a $42K spread from bottom to top.
Surveyors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Surveyors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $105K | +40% | 4,520 |
| Alaska | $100K | +32% | 250 |
| Oregon | $97K | +29% | 530 |
| Massachusetts | $95K | +25% | 1,290 |
| Washington | $86K | +13% | 780 |
| Montana | $85K | +12% | 350 |
| Minnesota | $84K | +11% | 980 |
| Maine | $83K | +10% | 270 |
| Delaware | $83K | +10% | 120 |
| Nevada | $82K | +9% | 490 |
| Hawaii | $82K | +9% | 140 |
| Wyoming | $81K | +8% | 240 |
| Indiana | $81K | +7% | 870 |
| Wisconsin | $80K | +6% | 610 |
| North Dakota | $79K | +5% | 250 |
| Colorado | $79K | +5% | 1,620 |
| New York | $79K | +5% | 1,470 |
| Arizona | $77K | +3% | 1,360 |
| South Dakota | $77K | +2% | 180 |
| New Jersey | $77K | +2% | 900 |
| Iowa | $77K | +2% | 450 |
| Connecticut | $77K | +2% | 430 |
| Vermont | $76K | +1% | N/A |
| Tennessee | $76K | +1% | 920 |
| North Carolina | $76K | +1% | 1,530 |
| Illinois | $76K | +1% | 1,710 |
| Pennsylvania | $76K | +1% | 1,610 |
| Kansas | $76K | +1% | 350 |
| New Mexico | $74K | -2% | 290 |
| Idaho | $74K | -2% | 250 |
| Utah | $73K | -3% | 650 |
| Michigan | $72K | -4% | 1,050 |
| Kentucky | $72K | -5% | 670 |
| Virginia | $71K | -6% | 1,360 |
| Ohio | $71K | -6% | 1,300 |
| Nebraska | $68K | -10% | 430 |
| Alabama | $67K | -11% | 910 |
| Florida | $65K | -13% | 4,000 |
| New Hampshire | $65K | -14% | 280 |
| Maryland | $65K | -14% | 950 |
| South Carolina | $63K | -16% | 1,000 |
| Louisiana | $63K | -16% | 1,460 |
| Rhode Island | $63K | -17% | 150 |
| Missouri | $62K | -18% | 830 |
| West Virginia | $62K | -18% | 630 |
| Oklahoma | $61K | -19% | 960 |
| Texas | $61K | -19% | 6,410 |
| Mississippi | $59K | -22% | 570 |
| Georgia | $58K | -23% | 1,770 |
| Arkansas | $52K | -31% | 550 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track surveyors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Madison numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a surveyor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Madison?
Yes — at the median salary of $90K, rent takes 20.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,168/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for surveyors in Madison?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new surveyors typically earn — is $64K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,860/month. At HUD’s $1,168/month FMR, rent would take 30% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is surveyor a high-paying job in Madison?
Local pay is 20% above the national median — $90K here vs. $75K nationally.
How does Madison compare to the national average for surveyors?
Madison pays $90K median vs. the U.S. average of $75K — that’s +20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.29), the purchasing-power equivalent is $93K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do surveyors make in Madison, WI?
The median is $90,310 a year, that works out to about $43 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $64,330, and experienced surveyors can clear $106,100. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $90K enough to live in Madison?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,682/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,168/month, which eats 20.6% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a surveyors 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 surveyors salary is worth about $92,826 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do surveyors 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.