Salaries in Wisconsin.
2 metro areas. 3445 roles.
Average cost-of-living index: 0.93x national average. Last updated April 2026.
2 cities tracked3445 roles
Highest Paying
$339,000
Principal Quantitative Researcher
Median Role
$299,000
Principal Deep Learning Engineer
Entry Level
$287,000
VP of AI Research
Salary data sourced from SEC filings, H-1B Labor Condition Applications (DOL), Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, and aggregated job postings across 50+ platforms. Ranges reflect 25th to 75th percentile for full-time positions. Cost-of-living adjustments use Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (2025 index). Last updated April 2026.
Wisconsin has 2 major metro areas tracked in our salary database, with an average cost-of-living index of 0.93x the national average. The highest-paying role across the state is Principal Quantitative Researcher at $339,000 in Madison. The median role pays $299,000.
Top 30 salaries in Wisconsin
| # | Role | Median | Top City | Range |
|---|
| 1 | Principal Quantitative Researcher | $339,000 | Madison | $265,000 – $441,000 |
| 2 | Principal AI Research Scientist | $333,000 | Madison | $259,000 – $432,000 |
| 3 | Technical Fellow | $326,000 | Madison | $254,000 – $424,000 |
| 4 | Senior VP of Product | $323,000 | Madison | $252,000 – $420,000 |
| 5 | Principal AI Compiler Engineer | $311,000 | Madison | $243,000 – $405,000 |
| 6 | Senior VP of Security | $309,000 | Milwaukee | $241,000 – $402,000 |
| 7 | Principal AI Safety Engineer | $308,000 | Madison | $240,000 – $400,000 |
| 8 | SVP of Technology | $308,000 | Madison | $241,000 – $401,000 |
| 9 | Distinguished Engineer | $307,000 | Madison | $233,000 – $391,000 |
| 10 | Chief Security Officer | $307,000 | Madison | $239,000 – $399,000 |
| 11 | Principal AI Agent Architect | $305,000 | Madison | $238,000 – $396,000 |
| 12 | Chief AI Officer | $303,000 | Madison | $225,000 – $391,000 |
| 13 | Principal Cryptographer | $302,000 | Madison | $236,000 – $393,000 |
| 14 | SVP of Engineering | $300,000 | Madison | $234,000 – $391,000 |
| 15 | Staff Quantitative Researcher | $300,000 | Madison | $234,000 – $391,000 |
| 16 | Principal Deep Learning Engineer | $299,000 | Madison | $234,000 – $390,000 |
| 17 | Principal AI Agent Engineer | $299,000 | Madison | $234,000 – $389,000 |
| 18 | Principal Quantitative Developer | $296,000 | Madison | $231,000 – $386,000 |
| 19 | Chief Science Officer | $295,000 | Madison | $230,000 – $383,000 |
| 20 | L7 Software Engineer | $295,000 | Madison | $230,000 – $383,000 |
| 21 | Principal LLM Engineer | $294,000 | Madison | $229,000 – $382,000 |
| 22 | Chief Architect | $294,000 | Madison | $229,000 – $382,000 |
| 23 | Lead High-Frequency Trading Engineer | $293,000 | Madison | $229,000 – $381,000 |
| 24 | Principal Computer Vision Engineer | $292,000 | Madison | $227,000 – $379,000 |
| 25 | Principal Kernel Engineer | $292,000 | Madison | $227,000 – $379,000 |
| 26 | SVP of Product | $292,000 | Madison | $228,000 – $379,000 |
| 27 | SVP of Data | $291,000 | Madison | $227,000 – $379,000 |
| 28 | SVP of Strategy | $291,000 | Madison | $227,000 – $378,000 |
| 29 | Principal AI Engineer | $289,000 | Madison | $225,000 – $375,000 |
| 30 | VP of AI Research | $287,000 | Madison | $223,000 – $372,000 |
Tax considerations in Wisconsin
Wisconsin's top income tax rate is 7.65%. Milwaukee has no city income tax. The state rate is above average, but affordable housing keeps overall cost of living manageable.
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.
Know the number. Get the offer.
Orbyt gives you the salary data, interview prep, and pipeline tools to negotiate from a position of strength.
Start free.