Madison, WI metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a receptionist make in Madison, WI?

In the Madison, WI metropolitan area, receptionists earned a median of $43,600 a year ($20.96 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 3,170 of these jobs there. That is 25% below the $58,080 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $29,990 and $50,460; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Wisconsin tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $35,951 in take-home pay.

Receptionist pay in Madison, WI at a glance

Median salary

$43,600$20.96 per hour · $3,633 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$29,990$14.42/hr
25th percentile$36,860$17.72/hr
75th percentile$47,310$22.75/hr
90th percentile$50,460$24.26/hr
Jobs in this metro3,170Location quotient 1.33 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here25% belowAll-jobs median $58,080
Against Wisconsin6% aboveStatewide median $41,150
Against the U.S.15% aboveNational median $38,010

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Receptionist salary in Madison, WI after taxes

$43,600
$15,000$90,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$43,600
Net 82%
Fed 7%
WI 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$35,951After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,996Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,383Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,052 / yr
Wisconsin state income tax$1,261 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,335 / yr

Receptionists pay range in Madison, WI, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Madison, WI metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What receptionists earned in the Madison, WI metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (WI)
10th percentile$14.42/hr$2,499$29,990$25,686
25th percentile$17.72/hr$3,072$36,860$30,868
MedianMedian$20.96/hr$3,633$43,600$35,951
75th percentile$22.75/hr$3,943$47,310$38,749
90th percentile$24.26/hr$4,205$50,460$41,125

Is $43,600 a good salary in Madison, WI?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for receptionists next to both.

Median household income$88,804Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)97.32.7% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household49.1%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Receptionist pay in Madison, WI: common questions

What is the median salary for receptionists in Madison, WI?

The BLS median annual wage for receptionists in the Madison, WI metro area was $43,600 in May 2025, about $3,633 a month or $20.96 an hour. Statewide, the Wisconsin median for this job is $41,150, so the metro pays 6% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for receptionists in Madison, WI?

The median hourly wage for receptionists in Madison, WI was $20.96 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.42 an hour and one in ten earned more than $24.26.

How many receptionists work in Madison, WI?

BLS estimated 3,170 jobs for receptionists in the metro in May 2025, or 7.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.33 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for receptionists in Madison, WI?

BLS wage estimates for receptionists in Madison, WI run from $29,990 at the 10th percentile to $36,860 at the 25th, $47,310 at the 75th, and $50,460 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do receptionists take home after taxes in Madison, WI?

On a median gross salary of $43,600, an estimated $35,951 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,383 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Wisconsin in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,649 (an effective rate of 17.5%).

How much do receptionists make per month in Madison, WI?

On the median annual salary of $43,600, gross monthly income is $3,633. After federal, FICA, and Wisconsin state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,996 per month (or $1,383 every two weeks).

Is $43,600 a good salary in Madison, WI?

At $43,600, the median salary for receptionists is 49.1% of the Madison, WI median household income ($88,804). It is 25% below the $58,080 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 97.3, so prices here run 2.7% below the U.S. average.