Average Registered Nurses Salary in Wisconsin
Registered Nurses in Wisconsin earn a median annual salary of $95,530, which is -2.1% compared to the national median. There are 68,060 workers employed locally in this occupation.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates for Wisconsin (state).
Local wage range
- 10th
- $77,470
- 25th
- $81,920
- Median
- $95,530
- 75th
- $102,610
- 90th
- $119,860
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
This local range is the useful part of the page. The median tells you the center of the market in Wisconsin, while the percentile band shows how compressed or wide the local pay distribution actually is.
Cost-of-living context
Services: 89.9%
Rents: 79.3%
Comparable states for this occupation
| State | Median annual wage | Compare | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $140,270 | Compare | 338,940 |
| Hawaii | $136,320 | Compare | 12,940 |
| Oregon | $129,010 | Compare | 39,730 |
| Washington | $124,200 | Compare | 69,260 |
| Alaska | $109,480 | Compare | 7,510 |
| New York | $109,440 | Compare | 205,810 |
The point of this table is not random nearby places. It is to show the other labor markets where this same occupation looks stronger or weaker on the same OEWS release.
Top occupations in Wisconsin
| Occupation | Median annual wage | LQ |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiologists | $636,580 | 0.60 |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $572,060 | 1.08 |
| Anesthesiologists | $443,990 | 1.08 |
| Dermatologists | $440,710 | 0.75 |
| Surgeons, All Other | $416,000 | 1.16 |
| Radiologists | $392,610 | 1.94 |
| Physicians, All Other | $391,740 | 0.98 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $367,160 | 1.14 |
Wisconsin has salary data for 739 occupations. The highest-paid occupation in this area is Cardiologists.
Trend for Registered Nurses in Wisconsin
Historical trend data is not yet available for this occupation in this area.
Outlook and page notes
Nationally, Registered Nurses are projected to change by +4.9% from 2024 to 2034, with 189,100 annual openings.
Use this page to answer three separate questions: what the occupation pays here, how large the local market is, and whether this market is unusually concentrated for the occupation.
For metro pages in particular, read long-term trend rows as directional until the area comparability layer is fully wired. OEWS area definitions can change over time, and that matters more at the metro level than at the state level.