Chief Marketing Officer.
Madison.
$245,000
median salary, 6% below the national average
$183,000 to $320,000. Last updated April 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
A Chief Marketing Officer in Madison earns a median of $245,000 in 2026. That is 6% below the national average. The range runs from $183,000 to $320,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Industry, company revenue, and attribution to marketing-sourced pipeline are the strongest pay factors.
Salary range
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $221,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$159,000
to $196,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$208,000
to $257,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$270,000
to $319,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$306,000
to $380,000
Salary trend
+5% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $152,000 to the total package.
Base
$245,000
Equity
$81,000
Bonus
$51,000
Signing
$20,000
Estimated total: $397,000
How Madison compares
Madison, WI
$245,000
Cost of living: 5% below average
National Average
$260,000
Madison is $15,000 below
Chief Marketing Officer salary by city
Salary by role in Madison
What you should know
The Chief Marketing Officer landscape in Madison is not what most salary sites will tell you. Madison is a growing tech hub anchored by the University of Wisconsin and Epic Systems, one of the largest health IT companies. The city consistently ranks among the best places to live and has a thriving startup ecosystem. Salaries are competitive relative to the modest cost of living. Industry, company revenue, and attribution to marketing-sourced pipeline are the strongest pay factors. CMOs at B2B SaaS companies with clear revenue attribution earn more than those in brand-heavy B2C roles. Experience with successful IPO marketing, category creation, or hypergrowth scaling commands premium compensation.
Directors of marketing earn $140,000 to $195,000. VPs of marketing advance to $185,000 to $270,000. CMOs at mid-market companies make $230,000 to $310,000. CMOs at large enterprises or public tech companies reach $320,000 to $420,000 in base with total comp of $600,000 to $1.5 million. In Madison, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Performance bonuses of 25 to 50% of base tied to pipeline generation, brand metrics, and revenue targets are standard. Equity grants at growth companies add $100,000 to $500,000 in annualized value. Some CMOs negotiate marketing budget floors as part of their package. And on the tax side: wisconsin's top income tax rate is 7.65%. Madison has no city income tax. The moderate state rate is offset by the affordable cost of living and strong employer base. When someone quotes you $245,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Reference Epic Systems compensation benchmarks. Epic sets the salary standard for tech in Madison and most employers in the area compete against their packages. The range for Chief Marketing Officers in Madison runs from $183,000 to $320,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: SEC filings, H-1B LCA (DOL), BLS OES, 50+ job posting platforms. COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified April 8, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A VP of Engineering in Madison earns $242,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Madison is Distinguished Engineer at $307,000
Common questions.
Chief Marketing Officer salary in other cities
Other salaries in Madison
Related
Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
Want this data on your site? Embed the salary widget — one script tag, free forever.