Accountant salary in Madison, WI
No other area in Wisconsin pays accountants more than Madison: the median is $81,130 a year1. That is 2.2% above the Wisconsin statewide median of $79,400, and 3.0% below the US median of $83,680. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#104 of 521). About 4,440 accountants work here, 18% of the Wisconsin total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Madison, WI. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Madison against Wisconsin and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison, WI | $60,770 | $81,130 | $122,930 | |
| Wisconsin | $58,340 | $79,400 | $127,800 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Madison earns $68,000–$101,120. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $122,930, only 2.0 times the bottom tenth, against 2.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $33,120 wide, against $35,800 across Wisconsin and $42,790 nationally: employers in Madison pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an accountant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $60,770 | $5,064 | $29.22 | $78,413 |
| 25th percentile | $68,000 | $5,667 | $32.69 | $87,742 |
| Median | $81,130 | $6,761 | $39.00 | $104,684 |
| 75th percentile | $101,120 | $8,427 | $48.62 | $130,477 |
| 90th percentile | $122,930 | $10,244 | $59.10 | $158,619 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $19,990 over the median, the 25th only $13,130 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $25,794 a year in employer cost. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $83,680 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Madison, and the Wisconsin statewide median of $79,400 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Madison
At the $81,130 median, a local hire costs about $104,684 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $23,554 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for accountants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Madison
Of the 17 roles we track in Madison, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($98,990); recruiters come next at $76,660.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +22.0% | 4,280 | |
| Accountant | this role | 4,440 | |
| Recruiter | -5.5% | 2,810 | |
| Office Manager | -7.2% | 3,380 | |
| Executive Assistant | -12.7% | 950 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #10 of the 17 roles we track in Madison (-3.0%), between HR assistants (+0.4%) and project coordinators (-3.3%). The typical role here is at +0.4%, so, measured against the US, accountants cost less in Madison than the area's general pay level would suggest. Accountants hold 9.8% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Madison, 8.9% across Wisconsin and 9.1% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Wisconsin
Across the 17 areas of Wisconsin with data for this job, the median runs from $74,210 in the Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetro area to $81,130 in Madison, a gap of $6,920 a year. The one area in Wisconsin with more accountants, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI ($80,290), pays less: a bigger pool at a lower median.
| Area | Median | vs Madison | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison, WI | this area | 4,440 | |
| Appleton, WI | -0.9% | 1,020 | |
| Sheboygan, WI | -1.0% | 390 | |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | -1.0% | 7,960 | |
| Kenosha, WI | -2.8% | 570 | |
| Western Wisconsin (Nonmetro) | -3.8% | 680 | |
| Green Bay, WI | -4.2% | 1,490 |
Madison against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Madison is #55 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside Wisconsin, Medford and Tulsa pay just above Madison and North Port-Bradenton and Miami-Fort Lauderdale just below. All four are within $210 a year of the median in Madison. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Madison | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tulsa, OK | +0.2% | 5,110 | pay | |
| Medford, OR | +0.1% | 600 | pay | |
| Madison, WI | this area | 4,440 | ||
| North Port-Bradenton, FL | -0.0% | 2,780 | pay | |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL | -0.3% | 30,950 | pay | |
| Rochester, NY | -0.3% | 4,370 | jobs | |
| Memphis, TN-MS | -5.1% | 4,390 | jobs | |
| Louisville, KY-IN | -5.9% | 4,590 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Madison, WI?
About $104,684 a year at the median, or $8,724 a month: $81,130 in pay plus about $23,554 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for accountants in Madison?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $81,130 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $60,770, the 90th $122,930, and the middle half earned $68,000 to $101,120.
Is Madison the most expensive area in Wisconsin for accountants?
Yes. Its median of $81,130 is the highest of 17 areas in Wisconsin. Appleton comes next at $80,360.
How many accountants work in Madison?
BLS counts about 4,440 in the May 2025 survey. That is 18% of the Wisconsin total of 25,100. Only Milwaukee-Waukesha has more in Wisconsin.
Does an accountant cost more than a recruiter in Madison?
Yes: $4,470 a year more at the median. The medians are $81,130 and $76,660.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.