SOC 13-2011

Accountant & Auditor Salary in Madison, WI (2026)

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + WI
COL Index: 108.14 (+8.1% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 72.8% Realized
$59,090 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $81,130 $39.00/hr
Effective Tax Drag 21.17% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$17,173 $660.48/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $39.00 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$4,868/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,071/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$7,948
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$5,030
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,176
Wisconsin Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$3,018
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$59,090 ($2,272.68 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Madison, WI Accountant & Auditor Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $81,130
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $60.8k 25th $68.0k Median: $81,130 50th (Median) $81.1k 75th $101k 90th $123k You: $81,130
10th (Entry) $60,770 $29.22/hr
25th (Junior) $68,000 $32.69/hr
50th (Median) $81,130 $39.00/hr
75th (Senior) $101,120 $48.62/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $122,930 $59.10/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Accountant & Auditor in Madison, WI
1
Staff AccountantBachelor's degree (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$54,293$26.10/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Senior AccountantDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; CPA license
$64,958$31.23/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Accounting ManagerFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team; CPA license
$81,149$39.01/hr · 5-9 Years
4
Corporate ControllerOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$106,454$51.18/hr · 9-14 Years
5
Vice President of FinanceExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$139,709$67.17/hr · 14+ Years
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Financial Managers+$82,890/yr
National median: $166,570
Skill overlap: 94%View Salary
Financial Examiners+$10,480/yr
National median: $94,160
Skill overlap: 93%
Tax Preparers-$28,760/yr
National median: $54,920
Skill overlap: 93%
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks-$33,010/yr
National median: $50,670
Skill overlap: 89%
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Madison, WI under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
28% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,375/month Requires minimum annual gross of $55,000
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,565/month Requires minimum annual gross of $62,600
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $23.91/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $23.27/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Madison, WI.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$81,130-$17,173$59,090$2,272.68
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$96,342-$22,331$68,230$2,624.25
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$111,554-$27,489$77,371$2,975.82
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$126,766-$32,648$86,512$3,327.39
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$141,978-$38,039$95,420$3,669.99
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

Accountant & Auditor in Madison, WI: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and Wisconsin tax codes.

Market Baseline
$81,130/yr
$39.00/hr · SOC 13-2011
Statutory Tax Drag
21.17% Effective
-$17,173 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
28% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$3,549/mo
Post-$1,375/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 13-2011
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

Accountant & Auditor in Madison, WI: Market Snapshot

Accountant & Auditor roles in Madison, WI report a median annual wage of $81,130, 3.0% below the national median of $83,680. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $60,770 to $122,930, and HUD’s $1,375 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 20.3% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $23.91 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Accountant & Auditor

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$121,700+50.0%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$110,730+36.5%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$105,650+30.2%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$102,140+25.9%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$102,020+25.7%
Midland, TX$100,890+24.4%
Parkersburg-Vienna, WV$100,420+23.8%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$100,150+23.4%
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$100,020+23.3%
Boulder, CO$99,990+23.2%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Madison, WI

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$217,010$104.33/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$168,900$81.20/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$160,700$77.26/hr
Data Engineer$155,160$74.60/hr
Financial Manager$148,970$71.62/hr
Sales Managers$146,380$70.38/hr
Human Resources Managers$140,680$67.63/hr
Marketing Managers$138,270$66.48/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$136,990$65.86/hr
Actuary$135,330$65.06/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 393 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

Accountant & Auditor Salary in Madison, WI (2026) Overview

Accountant & Auditor median pay in Madison, WI is $81,130 a year ($39.00/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents & living.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for an Accountant & Auditor in Madison, WI?

The median annual wage is $81,130 ($39.00 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $60,770 and $122,930. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for an Accountant & Auditor in Madison, WI after taxes?

On the median wage of $81,130, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $62,598 a year ($5,216 a month) after $18,532 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 22.84%, using 2026 tax rules.