Pharmacists salary in Madison, WI

Median pay for pharmacists in Madison, WI: $139,630/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $106,670 – $169,460 · about 850 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($135,000) by +$4,630 (+3%).

What it's really worth in Madison

With Madison's cost of living at 96 (US=100), that $139,630 has the buying power of about $145,548 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 46th of the 187 metros we hold pharmacists wages for. Once Madison's cost of living is applied, it ranks 68th.

The headline number flatters Madison. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, pharmacists here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.

What that salary buys in Madison

A median home in Madison, WI costs $452,769 — about 3.2× 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 14% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.

Where pharmacists 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	$190,570	+36%	2.2×
San Francisco, CA	$180,420	+29%	1.9×
Vallejo, CA	$179,210	+28%	1.4×
Santa Rosa, CA	$170,100	+22%	1.6×

Same job elsewhere in WI

Metro	Median pay	vs Madison	Rent vs Madison
Milwaukee, WI	$146,970	+5%	0.9×
Appleton, WI	$141,100	+1%	0.7×
Green Bay, WI	$137,350	−2%	0.7×

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

Who hires pharmacists around Madison

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• UW Health · Healthcare

Other jobs in Madison