Word Processors and Typists Salary
In Madison, WI, word processors and typists earn $53,710 at the median, or about $25.82 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $63K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.29), that's roughly $55,206 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,168/month, about 33.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $54K 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 word processors and typists
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What this looks like in Madison
Word processors and typists pay in Madison tracks closely to the national median, $54K locally vs. $49K nationwide, a 9% difference. Rent runs $1,168/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.3% 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. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for word processors and typists in metros near Madison, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay | $43K | $46K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $52K | $51K |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $50K | $50K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $52K | $49K |
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 word processors and typists (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $63K or more, a $26K spread from bottom to top.
Word Processors and Typists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Word Processors and Typists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $58K | +17% | 60 |
| California | $56K | +14% | 10,270 |
| Massachusetts | $54K | +9% | 350 |
| Oregon | $52K | +6% | 40 |
| Minnesota | $52K | +5% | 210 |
| Idaho | $50K | +1% | 60 |
| Tennessee | $50K | +1% | 90 |
| New Jersey | $50K | +0% | 3,560 |
| Connecticut | $49K | -0% | 170 |
| District of Columbia | $49K | -0% | 120 |
| Ohio | $49K | -1% | 310 |
| Wisconsin | $49K | -2% | 180 |
| New York | $48K | -2% | 12,340 |
| Michigan | $48K | -3% | 520 |
| Texas | $48K | -3% | 290 |
| Maryland | $47K | -4% | 210 |
| Nebraska | $47K | -4% | 80 |
| Rhode Island | $47K | -5% | 120 |
| Alabama | $47K | -5% | 70 |
| New Mexico | $46K | -6% | 60 |
| Virginia | $46K | -6% | 290 |
| Washington | $46K | -6% | 140 |
| Illinois | $45K | -8% | 490 |
| Delaware | $45K | -8% | 50 |
| Oklahoma | $44K | -11% | 40 |
| Iowa | $43K | -12% | 360 |
| Arkansas | $43K | -13% | 40 |
| South Carolina | $43K | -13% | 30 |
| Arizona | $42K | -15% | N/A |
| Nevada | $41K | -16% | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $41K | -17% | 1,170 |
| Hawaii | $40K | -19% | 270 |
| Indiana | $40K | -20% | 120 |
| Missouri | $37K | -24% | 260 |
| West Virginia | $36K | -27% | 80 |
| Florida | $36K | -27% | 1,000 |
| Georgia | $31K | -36% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 37 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track word processors and typists 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 word processors and typist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Madison?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 32.3% 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 $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for word processors and typists in Madison?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new word processors and typists typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,604/month. At HUD’s $1,168/month FMR, rent would take 45% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is word processors and typist a high-paying job in Madison?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $54K locally vs. $49K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Madison compare to the national average for word processors and typists?
Madison pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s +9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.29), the purchasing-power equivalent is $55K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do word processors and typists make in Madison, WI?
The median is $53,710 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,570, and experienced word processors and typists can clear $63,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Madison?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,616/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,168/month, which eats 32.3% 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 word processors and typists 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 word processors and typists salary is worth about $55,206 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do word processors and typists 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.