Highest-paying jobs in Wisconsin
The highest published median in Wisconsin is for cardiologists, at $636,580 a year. For one more occupation, BLS reports the median only as “$239,200 or more”; they are listed below the table. The median for all occupations in the state is $50,270, against $50,980 nationally.
Wisconsin · all occupationsMay 2025
- Median / yr
- $50,270
- Mean / yr
- $64,270
- Price level (U.S.=100)
- 94.1
- Median, price-adjusted
- $53,425
- Adjusted rank
- 20 of 51
- Jobs
- 2,941,540
Price-adjusted = median ÷ (BEA 2024 regional price parity ÷ 100). Compare all states.
The 50 best-paid occupations in Wisconsin
WI · Src BLS-OEWS · May 2025Top 50 of 727
| No. | Occupation | Median in WI | U.S. median | Employed in WI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiologists | $636,580 | $496,010 | 200 |
| 2 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $572,060 | $358,550 | 290 |
| 3 | Anesthesiologists | $443,990 | $391,490 | 790 |
| 4 | Dermatologists | $440,710 | $328,730 | 160 |
| 5 | Surgeons, All Other | $416,000 | $414,010 | 550 |
| 6 | Radiologists | $392,610 | $420,860 | 980 |
| 7 | Physicians, All Other | $391,740 | $265,930 | 6,350 |
| 8 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $367,160 | $256,560 | 1,450 |
| 9 | Neurologists | $342,520 | $248,560 | 130 |
| 10 | Psychiatrists | $331,070 | $281,870 | 550 |
| 11 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $304,990 | $292,910 | 450 |
| 12 | Family Medicine Physicians | $290,640 | $244,180 | 1,470 |
| 13 | Nurse Anesthetists | $273,170 | $236,590 | 990 |
| 14 | Pediatricians, General | $269,790 | $210,040 | 350 |
| 15 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $213,890 | $300,080 | 250 |
| 16 | Orthodontists | $212,860 | $289,140 | 90 |
| 17 | Chief Executives | $208,350 | $213,990 | — |
| 18 | Dentists, General | $193,690 | $170,950 | 2,560 |
| 19 | Podiatrists | $185,100 | $160,300 | 120 |
| 20 | Physicists | $173,120 | $172,250 | 180 |
| 21 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $160,140 | $175,140 | 8,880 |
| 22 | Pharmacists | $148,740 | $140,910 | 5,730 |
| 23 | Medical Dosimetrists | $142,300 | $147,470 | 80 |
| 24 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $142,060 | $171,270 | 4,550 |
| 25 | Law Teachers, Postsecondary | $140,940 | $128,500 | 150 |
| 26 | Financial Managers | $139,720 | $166,570 | 15,530 |
| 27 | Optometrists | $139,720 | $136,570 | 790 |
| 28 | Database Architects | $137,810 | $139,500 | 520 |
| 29 | Materials Scientists | $137,700 | $117,790 | 70 |
| 30 | Sales Managers | $134,870 | $148,270 | 10,480 |
| 31 | Physician Assistants | $133,950 | $135,880 | 3,580 |
| 32 | Marketing Managers | $133,600 | $166,790 | 4,890 |
| 33 | Human Resources Managers | $133,490 | $149,280 | 3,730 |
| 34 | Nurse Midwives | $133,070 | $134,040 | 200 |
| 35 | Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers | $132,250 | $117,860 | 60 |
| 36 | Nurse Practitioners | $131,980 | $132,300 | 5,160 |
| 37 | Computer Network Architects | $131,720 | $134,050 | 2,170 |
| 38 | Actuaries | $131,640 | $130,000 | 890 |
| 39 | Advertising and Promotions Managers | $131,530 | $133,660 | 110 |
| 40 | Commercial Pilots | $129,860 | $123,220 | 1,090 |
| 41 | Natural Sciences Managers | $128,890 | $167,220 | 1,070 |
| 42 | Medical and Health Services Managers | $128,320 | $123,860 | 7,230 |
| 43 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | $127,920 | $149,230 | — |
| 44 | Lawyers | $126,760 | $159,670 | 9,160 |
| 45 | Purchasing Managers | $124,990 | $148,080 | 1,610 |
| 46 | Education Administrators, Postsecondary | $124,960 | $104,590 | 1,190 |
| 47 | Training and Development Managers | $123,640 | $133,000 | 600 |
| 48 | Fundraising Managers | $123,090 | $125,470 | 400 |
| 49 | Software Developers | $122,660 | $135,980 | 21,730 |
| 50 | Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers | $121,620 | $58,970 | 50 |
Median reported only as “$239,200 or more” in Wisconsin: Emergency Medicine Physicians. The exact figures are not published, so these are not ranked.
Dashes mean the employment estimate was not published.
Best-paid occupations with at least 1,000 jobs in Wisconsin
- Physicians, All Other — $391,740 (6,350 jobs)
- General Internal Medicine Physicians — $367,160 (1,450 jobs)
- Family Medicine Physicians — $290,640 (1,470 jobs)
- Dentists, General — $193,690 (2,560 jobs)
- Computer and Information Systems Managers — $160,140 (8,880 jobs)
- Pharmacists — $148,740 (5,730 jobs)
- Architectural and Engineering Managers — $142,060 (4,550 jobs)
- Financial Managers — $139,720 (15,530 jobs)
- Sales Managers — $134,870 (10,480 jobs)
- Physician Assistants — $133,950 (3,580 jobs)
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state file.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024.