Real Estate Sales Agents salary in Madison, WI
Median pay for real estate sales agents in Madison, WI: $54,750/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $30,890 – $98,380 · about 850 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($50,020) by +$4,730 (+9%).
What it's really worth in Madison
With Madison's cost of living at 96 (US=100), that $54,750 has the buying power of about $57,070 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $82,996 · median home $452,769 · median rent $1,683/mo.
How Madison ranks for this job
On raw pay, Madison, WI is 68th of the 167 metros we hold real estate sales agents wages for. Once Madison's cost of living is applied, it ranks 54th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Madison sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Madison
A median home in Madison, WI costs $452,769 — about 8.3× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,683/mo works out at 37% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.
Where real estate sales agents 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $103,960 | +90% | 2.1× |
| Buffalo, NY | $83,670 | +53% | 0.9× |
| Rochester, NY | $83,200 | +52% | 0.9× |
| Seattle, WA | $80,950 | +48% | 1.3× |
Same job elsewhere in WI
| Metro | Median pay | vs Madison | Rent vs Madison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appleton, WI | $50,630 | −8% | 0.7× |
| Green Bay, WI | $48,350 | −12% | 0.7× |
| Milwaukee, WI | $46,590 | −15% | 0.9× |
Staying in WI keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires real estate sales agents around Madison
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- American Family Insurance · Finance
Other jobs in Madison
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 167 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.