Cost of hiring in Madison, WI
Customer Support Specialist is the largest of these 17 jobs in Madison, with about 7,120 people1. Medians run from $37,980 a year for data entry specialists to $98,990 for project coordinators.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Madison
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Receptionist | +14.7% | 3,170 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +9.0% | 360 | |
| Office Manager | +8.3% | 3,380 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +8.1% | 4,630 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +6.1% | 7,120 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +5.3% | 2,080 | |
| Bookkeeper | +5.1% | 3,760 | |
| Recruiter | +0.9% | 2,810 | |
| HR Assistant | +0.4% | 280 | |
| Accountant | -3.0% | 4,440 | |
| Project Coordinator | -3.3% | 4,280 | |
| Paralegal | -3.3% | 850 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -5.9% | 4,060 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -6.0% | 140 | |
| Executive Assistant | -7.6% | 950 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -8.1% | 430 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -13.7% | 2,640 |
The employer pays more than the wage: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, so a $47,500 median for customer support specialists, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $61,290 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Madison against the US
Madison pays above the US median for 7 of the 17 roles, most of all for virtual receptionists (+14.7%) and payroll specialists (+9.0%), and below it for 8, furthest for marketing specialists (-13.7%). For recruiters and HR assistants it is within 1% of the US figure. The middle gap across all 17 is +0.4%: overall, pay here is close to the US level. Its best national standing is for virtual receptionists, #32 of 521 areas by median pay; its lowest is for data entry specialists, #249 of 394.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Madison has more project coordinators (9.4% of these jobs here, against 6.7% nationally) and virtual receptionists (7.0% against 5.7%), and fewer e-commerce order specialists (0.3% against 0.5%) and executive assistants (2.1% against 2.9%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC is nearest, at +0.3%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie, NY | +0.7% | 17 | 25,620 |
| Yakima, WA | +0.6% | 15 | 7,020 |
| Madison, WI | +0.4% (this area) | 17 | 45,380 |
| Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +0.3% | 17 | 150,280 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | +0.2% | 17 | 37,280 |
| Ithaca, NY | +0.1% | 14 | 4,920 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Madison span $40,470–$119,540, the widest band (3.0×); medical administrative assistants the narrowest, $45,690–$58,190. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 13 of 17 roles, sales development representatives most ($37,980–$148,840 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives and marketing specialists: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($75,100 against a $65,840 median for sales development representatives).
Madison against Wisconsin
Against Wisconsin as a whole, Madison pays more for 14 of 17 roles, led by recruiters (+8.7%) and administrative assistants (+7.8%), and less only for e-commerce order specialists (-9.2%). It has the highest median in Wisconsin for accountants, recruiters and sales development representatives and 3 more roles.
Other areas in Wisconsin
By jobs in these roles, Madison is #2 of 17 areas in Wisconsin. The table shows the areas closest to it in size, from Milwaukee-Waukesha to Racine-Mount Pleasant.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 81,260 | 17 |
| Green Bay, WI | 16,460 | 17 |
| Northeastern Wisconsin (Nonmetro) | 16,030 | 17 |
| South Central Wisconsin (Nonmetro) | 14,740 | 17 |
| Appleton, WI | 12,090 | 17 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | 9,050 | 16 |
| Western Wisconsin (Nonmetro) | 8,730 | 17 |
| Eau Claire, WI | 7,720 | 16 |
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | 7,310 | 17 |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | 6,260 | 16 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Madison?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $98,990 a year, about $127,729 with benefits; the lowest is Data Entry Specialist, $37,980.
Is hiring in Madison cheaper than the US median?
For 8 of the 17 roles, yes, most of all marketing specialists (-13.7%). 7 pay more than the US median, led by virtual receptionists (+14.7%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.