Tutors Salary
In Madison, WI, tutors earn $50,820 at the median, or about $24.43 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $85K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.29), that's roughly $52,236 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,168/month, about 35% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $51K 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 tutors
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What this looks like in Madison
Madison sits well above the national pay line for tutors, local pay runs about 17% higher than the U.S. median of $43K. Rent runs $1,168/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. 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 tutors in metros near Madison, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $36K | $37K |
| Appleton | $37K | $40K |
| Eau Claire | $29K | $31K |
| Green Bay | $43K | $46K |
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 tutors (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $85K or more, a $48K spread from bottom to top.
Tutors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Tutors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | $82K | +90% | 200 |
| Rhode Island | $78K | +80% | 300 |
| Massachusetts | $61K | +40% | 4,610 |
| Vermont | $54K | +24% | 130 |
| New Hampshire | $54K | +24% | 700 |
| Maryland | $53K | +22% | 4,300 |
| Connecticut | $50K | +16% | 3,230 |
| Tennessee | $50K | +16% | 3,310 |
| Maine | $50K | +15% | 340 |
| Mississippi | $50K | +14% | 1,220 |
| Oregon | $48K | +11% | 1,130 |
| Colorado | $47K | +9% | 2,500 |
| Georgia | $47K | +9% | 5,690 |
| New York | $47K | +9% | 12,730 |
| North Dakota | $46K | +7% | 110 |
| Alaska | $46K | +6% | 550 |
| Washington | $45K | +5% | 2,460 |
| California | $45K | +4% | 45,370 |
| Minnesota | $45K | +3% | 1,370 |
| West Virginia | $44K | +2% | 280 |
| Ohio | $44K | +1% | 5,760 |
| North Carolina | $42K | -2% | 5,780 |
| New Jersey | $42K | -2% | 5,270 |
| Montana | $41K | -5% | 450 |
| Wisconsin | $41K | -5% | 1,530 |
| Virginia | $41K | -6% | 4,090 |
| Arizona | $39K | -10% | 2,730 |
| South Dakota | $39K | -11% | 250 |
| Nebraska | $38K | -11% | 950 |
| Indiana | $38K | -12% | 1,770 |
| Illinois | $37K | -14% | 5,910 |
| Michigan | $37K | -14% | 6,010 |
| Florida | $37K | -14% | 12,220 |
| Iowa | $37K | -15% | 610 |
| New Mexico | $37K | -15% | 460 |
| Hawaii | $37K | -16% | 1,130 |
| Pennsylvania | $36K | -16% | 4,540 |
| Alabama | $36K | -18% | 890 |
| Utah | $35K | -19% | 3,150 |
| Idaho | $35K | -19% | 760 |
| Oklahoma | $35K | -20% | 1,220 |
| Kentucky | $34K | -21% | 780 |
| Kansas | $34K | -21% | 1,290 |
| Louisiana | $34K | -22% | 540 |
| Texas | $34K | -22% | 10,690 |
| Delaware | $33K | -23% | 590 |
| South Carolina | $33K | -23% | 1,510 |
| Missouri | $32K | -26% | 1,670 |
| Arkansas | $31K | -29% | 720 |
| Nevada | $30K | -30% | 1,070 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track tutors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Madison numbers change.
Related careers in Education
Frequently asked questions
Can a tutor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Madison?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 34% 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 $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tutors in Madison?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tutors typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,248/month. At HUD’s $1,168/month FMR, rent would take 52% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is tutor a high-paying job in Madison?
Local pay is 17% above the national median — $51K here vs. $43K nationally.
How does Madison compare to the national average for tutors?
Madison pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s +17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.29), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tutors make in Madison, WI?
The median is $50,820 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,460, and experienced tutors can clear $84,980. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Madison?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,435/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,168/month, which eats 34% 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 tutors 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 tutors salary is worth about $52,236 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do tutors 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.