Mechanical Engineers salary in Madison, WI

Median pay for mechanical engineers in Madison, WI: $95,740/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $73,930 – $133,580 · about 1,020 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($95,605) by +$135 (+0%).

What it's really worth in Madison

With Madison's cost of living at 96 (US=100), that $95,740 has the buying power of about $99,798 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $82,996 · median home $452,769 · median rent $1,683/mo.

Full Madison cost of living & taxes →

How Madison ranks for this job

On raw pay, Madison, WI is 89th of the 180 metros we hold mechanical engineers wages for. Once Madison's cost of living is applied, it ranks 69th.

Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Madison is one of the places where mechanical engineers gain ground in real terms, because local costs are low relative to what the job pays.

What that salary buys in Madison

A median home in Madison, WI costs $452,769 — about 4.7× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.

Median rent of $1,683/mo works out at 21% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.

Where mechanical engineers earn more

Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Madison.

Metro	Median pay	vs Madison	Rent vs Madison
San Jose, CA	$153,520	+60%	2.2×
San Francisco, CA	$136,970	+43%	1.9×
Albuquerque, NM	$133,660	+40%	0.9×
Tyler, TX	$130,720	+37%	0.8×

Same job elsewhere in WI

Metro	Median pay	vs Madison	Rent vs Madison
Appleton, WI	$97,530	+2%	0.7×
Milwaukee, WI	$86,650	−9%	0.9×
Green Bay, WI	$83,480	−13%	0.7×

Staying in WI keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

Who hires mechanical engineers around Madison

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• Alliant Energy · Energy

Other jobs in Madison