Web Developers Salary
In Madison, WI, web developers earn $83,500 at the median, or about $40.14 an hour. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $129K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.29), that's roughly $85,826 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,168/month, or 22.1% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $84K actually covers in Madison, month by month
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 web developers
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What this looks like in Madison
Web developers pay in Madison tracks closely to the national median, $84K locally vs. $93K nationwide, a 10% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,168/month, 22% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for web developers in metros near Madison, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Oshkosh-Neenah | $77K | $82K |
| Appleton | $61K | $66K |
| Green Bay | $79K | $84K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $97K | $94K |
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 web developers (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $84K. Top earners bring in $129K or more, a $77K spread from bottom to top.
Web Developers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Web Developers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $130K | +41% | 4,430 |
| Virginia | $128K | +39% | 4,590 |
| California | $120K | +29% | 7,320 |
| District of Columbia | $115K | +24% | 430 |
| Maryland | $113K | +22% | 1,960 |
| Missouri | $104K | +12% | 1,160 |
| Minnesota | $101K | +9% | 1,200 |
| Utah | $100K | +8% | 1,280 |
| New York | $99K | +6% | 3,990 |
| Michigan | $98K | +6% | 1,580 |
| Massachusetts | $98K | +6% | 1,940 |
| Rhode Island | $98K | +6% | N/A |
| North Carolina | $97K | +4% | 2,030 |
| New Jersey | $95K | +3% | 2,250 |
| Wisconsin | $91K | -2% | 1,180 |
| Georgia | $90K | -2% | 1,500 |
| Pennsylvania | $86K | -7% | 1,670 |
| Colorado | $86K | -7% | 1,680 |
| Connecticut | $86K | -7% | 750 |
| Texas | $86K | -7% | 4,910 |
| Louisiana | $85K | -8% | 490 |
| Illinois | $85K | -8% | 4,310 |
| Vermont | $85K | -9% | 70 |
| Nevada | $83K | -10% | 340 |
| Kentucky | $83K | -11% | 270 |
| Indiana | $81K | -13% | 860 |
| Nebraska | $80K | -13% | 230 |
| Idaho | $79K | -14% | 220 |
| Oklahoma | $79K | -15% | 410 |
| New Hampshire | $78K | -16% | 470 |
| West Virginia | $78K | -16% | 400 |
| South Carolina | $78K | -16% | 710 |
| Arizona | $76K | -18% | 1,010 |
| Delaware | $76K | -18% | N/A |
| Tennessee | $75K | -19% | 1,620 |
| Kansas | $74K | -21% | 500 |
| North Dakota | $72K | -22% | N/A |
| Wyoming | $68K | -26% | 50 |
| New Mexico | $68K | -26% | 130 |
| Oregon | $64K | -30% | 1,140 |
| Iowa | $64K | -31% | 420 |
| Montana | $62K | -33% | 550 |
| South Dakota | $51K | -45% | 390 |
| Arkansas | $51K | -45% | 400 |
Showing 1–10 of 44 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track web developers salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Madison numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a web developer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Madison?
Yes — at the median salary of $84K, rent takes 22% 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 web developers in Madison?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new web developers typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,477/month. At HUD’s $1,168/month FMR, rent would take 34% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is web developer a high-paying job in Madison?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $84K locally vs. $93K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Madison compare to the national average for web developers?
Madison pays $84K median vs. the U.S. average of $93K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.29), the purchasing-power equivalent is $86K — below the national median.
How much do web developers make in Madison, WI?
The median is $83,500 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,480, and experienced web developers can clear $128,660. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $84K enough to live in Madison?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,312/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,168/month, which eats 22% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a web developers 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 web developers salary is worth about $85,826 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do web developers 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.