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 Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, H-1B Labor Condition Applications (DOL), state pay-transparency job postings, and community submissions. 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 June 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 to $441,000 |
| 2 | Principal AI Research Scientist | $333,000 | Madison | $259,000 to $432,000 |
| 3 | Technical Fellow | $326,000 | Madison | $254,000 to $424,000 |
| 4 | Senior VP of Product | $323,000 | Madison | $252,000 to $420,000 |
| 5 | Principal AI Compiler Engineer | $311,000 | Madison | $243,000 to $405,000 |
| 6 | Senior VP of Security | $309,000 | Milwaukee | $241,000 to $402,000 |
| 7 | Principal AI Safety Engineer | $308,000 | Madison | $240,000 to $400,000 |
| 8 | SVP of Technology | $308,000 | Madison | $241,000 to $401,000 |
| 9 | Distinguished Engineer | $307,000 | Madison | $233,000 to $391,000 |
| 10 | Chief Security Officer | $307,000 | Madison | $239,000 to $399,000 |
| 11 | Principal AI Agent Architect | $305,000 | Madison | $238,000 to $396,000 |
| 12 | Chief AI Officer | $303,000 | Madison | $225,000 to $391,000 |
| 13 | Principal Cryptographer | $302,000 | Madison | $236,000 to $393,000 |
| 14 | SVP of Engineering | $300,000 | Madison | $234,000 to $391,000 |
| 15 | Staff Quantitative Researcher | $300,000 | Madison | $234,000 to $391,000 |
| 16 | Principal Deep Learning Engineer | $299,000 | Madison | $234,000 to $390,000 |
| 17 | Principal AI Agent Engineer | $299,000 | Madison | $234,000 to $389,000 |
| 18 | Principal Quantitative Developer | $296,000 | Madison | $231,000 to $386,000 |
| 19 | Chief Science Officer | $295,000 | Madison | $230,000 to $383,000 |
| 20 | L7 Software Engineer | $295,000 | Madison | $230,000 to $383,000 |
| 21 | Principal LLM Engineer | $294,000 | Madison | $229,000 to $382,000 |
| 22 | Chief Architect | $294,000 | Madison | $229,000 to $382,000 |
| 23 | Lead High-Frequency Trading Engineer | $293,000 | Madison | $229,000 to $381,000 |
| 24 | Principal Computer Vision Engineer | $292,000 | Madison | $227,000 to $379,000 |
| 25 | Principal Kernel Engineer | $292,000 | Madison | $227,000 to $379,000 |
| 26 | SVP of Product | $292,000 | Madison | $228,000 to $379,000 |
| 27 | SVP of Data | $291,000 | Madison | $227,000 to $379,000 |
| 28 | SVP of Strategy | $291,000 | Madison | $227,000 to $378,000 |
| 29 | Principal AI Engineer | $289,000 | Madison | $225,000 to $375,000 |
| 30 | VP of AI Research | $287,000 | Madison | $223,000 to $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