Data Entry Specialist salary in Madison, WI
For this job Madison sits right at the Wisconsin figure, with a median of $37,980 a year1. That is about level with the Wisconsin statewide median of $38,170, and 8.1% below the US median of $41,340. Among US areas it comes in at #249 of 394. About 430 data entry specialists work here, 18% of the Wisconsin total.
BLS occupation 43-9021, 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 | $29,060 | $37,980 | $50,270 | |
| Wisconsin | $27,940 | $38,170 | $51,180 | |
| United States | $31,200 | $41,340 | $58,790 |
Data entry specialists at the 90th percentile earn $50,270, 1.7 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 1.9. The middle half of data entry specialists in Madison earns $29,790–$46,370. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $16,580 wide, wider than in Wisconsin as a whole ($16,570) and the US ($12,650), so what a data entry specialist earns in Madison depends more on the employer.
What to budget for a data entry specialist here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $29,060 | $2,422 | $13.97 | $37,497 |
| 25th percentile | $29,790 | $2,482 | $14.32 | $38,439 |
| Median | $37,980 | $3,165 | $18.26 | $49,006 |
| 75th percentile | $46,370 | $3,864 | $22.29 | $59,832 |
| 90th percentile | $50,270 | $4,189 | $24.17 | $64,865 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $8,190 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $8,390, or about $10,826 once benefits are added. 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 $41,340 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Madison, and the Wisconsin statewide median of $38,170 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Madison
At the $37,980 median, a local hire costs about $49,006 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $11,026 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 data entry specialists 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
Data entry specialists have the lowest median of the 17 roles we track in Madison; project coordinators have the highest, at $98,990.
| Role | Median | vs data entry specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +27.4% | 2,080 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +25.1% | 7,120 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | +14.8% | 3,170 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +14.2% | 140 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | this role | 430 |
Measured against the US median, data entry specialists rank #16 of the 17 roles we track in Madison (-8.1%), between executive assistants (-7.6%) and marketing specialists (-13.7%). The typical role here is at +0.4%, so, measured against the US, data entry specialists cost less in Madison than the area's general pay level would suggest. Data entry specialists hold 0.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Madison, 0.8% across Wisconsin and 0.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Wisconsin
Across the 14 areas of Wisconsin with data for this job, the median runs from $35,430 in Kenosha to $45,780 in La Crosse-Onalaska, a gap of $10,350 a year. The one area in Wisconsin with more data entry specialists, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI ($39,650), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Madison | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | +4.4% | 620 | |
| Green Bay, WI | +2.1% | 160 | |
| Janesville-Beloit, WI | +1.2% | 40 | |
| Madison, WI | this area | 430 | |
| Northwestern Wisconsin (Nonmetro) | -0.1% | 40 | |
| South Central Wisconsin (Nonmetro) | -0.1% | 100 | |
| Northeastern Wisconsin (Nonmetro) | -4.1% | 150 |
Madison against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Madison is #52 of 389 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Wisconsin, Augusta-Richmond County and Tyler pay just above Madison and Hickory-Lenoir and Harrisburg-Carlisle just below. All four are within $60 a year of the median in Madison. Of the three markets with about as many data entry specialists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Madison | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | +12.1% | 460 | jobs | |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | +8.2% | 410 | jobs | |
| Albany-Schenectady, NY | +4.9% | 450 | jobs | |
| Tyler, TX | +0.1% | 130 | pay | |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | +0.0% | 90 | pay | |
| Madison, WI | this area | 430 | ||
| Hickory-Lenoir, NC | -0.1% | 110 | pay | |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | -0.2% | 200 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a data entry specialist in Madison, WI?
About $49,006 a year at the median, or $4,084 a month: $37,980 in pay plus about $11,026 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for data entry specialists in Madison?
The median was $37,980 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $29,060, the 90th $50,270, and the middle half earned $29,790 to $46,370.
Is Madison cheaper than the rest of Wisconsin for data entry specialists?
About the same: a median of $37,980 against $38,170 statewide. The next area up in Wisconsin is Janesville-Beloit at $38,440, the next down the Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetro area at $37,960.
How many data entry specialists work in Madison?
BLS counts about 430 in the May 2025 survey. That is 18% of the Wisconsin total of 2,360. Only Milwaukee-Waukesha has more in Wisconsin.
Does a data entry specialist cost more than an e-commerce order specialist in Madison?
No: $5,400 a year less at the median. The medians are $37,980 and $43,380.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-9021: 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.