Nurse practitioner salary in Wisconsin
Wisconsin nurse practitioners earn a median of $131,980 a year ($63.45 an hour), according to BLS data for May 2025. That is about the same as the national median of $132,300, and ranks 24th of 51 states.
Median, Wisconsin
$131,980
Mean $135,160
Middle half earns
$123,410 to $147,970
US: $117,990 to $156,700
Employed in Wisconsin
5,160
0.84x the national concentration
Where Wisconsin sits in the range
Wisconsin
Statewide
United States
National
Minneapolis
Metro area
Milwaukee
Metro area
Madison
Metro area
Green Bay
Metro area
Nurse practitioner pay by percentile
Ten percent of Wisconsin nurse practitioners earned less than $106,320 and ten percent earned more than $166,260, a spread of $59,940. Where you land depends mostly on specialty, setting, experience and how the productivity pay is built, which is why two offers in the same city can be far apart.
| Percentile | Wisconsin | United States | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $106,320 | $101,340 | +4.9% |
| 25th | $123,410 | $117,990 | +4.6% |
| Median | $131,980 | $132,300 | -0.2% |
| 75th | $147,970 | $156,700 | -5.6% |
| 90th | $166,260 | $174,420 | -4.7% |
Nurse practitioner pay by metro area
BLS published NP pay for 15 metro areas that include part of Wisconsin. Duluth, MN-WI has the highest median at $136,530. Metro estimates rest on smaller samples than the statewide figure, so treat a low-precision row as a direction, not a number.
| Metro area | Employed | Median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 4,900 | $133,370 | $127,970 to $158,930 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 1,450 | $134,350 | $127,460 to $149,520 |
| Madison, WI | 530 | $133,080 | $127,310 to $154,190 |
| Green Bay, WI | 430 | $127,540 | $107,850 to $138,860 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | 420 | $136,530 | $125,260 to $161,320 |
| Eau Claire, WI | 280 | $132,530 | $123,410 to $156,030 |
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | 240 | $125,390 | $105,650 to $141,670 |
| Wausau, WI | 220 | $129,720 | $122,000 to $144,990 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | 170 | $129,860 | $123,930 to $146,920 |
| Appleton, WI | 150 | $129,030 | $113,840 to $154,860 |
| Fond du Lac, WI | 120 | $131,980 | $120,670 to $141,250 |
| Janesville-Beloit, WI | 120 | $125,300 | $124,530 to $127,560 |
| Sheboygan, WI | 90 | $131,880 | $128,070 to $152,900 |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | 90 | $131,600 | $121,420 to $140,000 |
| Kenosha, WI | 80 | $132,210 | $120,240 to $158,940 |
How NP pay compares with other clinicians in Wisconsin
| Occupation | Wisconsin | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse practitioner | $131,980 | $132,300 |
| Physician assistant | $133,950 | $135,880 |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | $273,170 | $236,590 |
| Registered nurse | $95,530 | $97,550 |
The Wisconsin NP workforce
BLS counts 5,160 nurse practitioners on Wisconsin payrolls, or 1.75 for every 1,000 jobs in the state, close to the national concentration. The federal NPI registry, which also counts self-employed and part-time clinicians, lists 8,184 nurse practitioners with a Wisconsin practice address, and 403 new NP NPIs there in the past twelve months.
Using these numbers when you negotiate
A state median is a reference point, not a target. If an offer comes in under $123,410, it sits in the bottom quarter of what Wisconsin nurse practitioners earn, and you should know why before you sign: a new-grad rate, a light schedule, or a base kept low because a productivity bonus is supposed to make up the difference. If it is above $147,970, ask what is expected in return, such as call, volume targets or a longer non-compete.
Compare the whole package, not the base: how the bonus is calculated, call pay, CME, PTO and who pays malpractice tail coverage. The negotiation guide and the contract checklist walk through each term.
Questions about NP pay in Wisconsin
How much does a NP make in Wisconsin?
The median annual wage for nurse practitioners in Wisconsin was $131,980 in May 2025, and the mean was $135,160, per the BLS. The middle half earned between $123,410 and $147,970.
What is the hourly rate for nurse practitioners in Wisconsin?
The median hourly wage was $63.45 and the mean was $64.98. BLS computes hourly figures from annual pay assuming a full-time year, so per-shift or per-diem rates can differ.
Where do NPs earn the most in Wisconsin?
Among Wisconsin metro areas with published data, Duluth, MN-WI had the highest median at $136,530, and Janesville-Beloit, WI the lowest at $125,300.
How does Wisconsin rank for NP pay?
Wisconsin ranks 24th of 51 states (including DC) by median NP pay, about the same as the national median of $132,300. Pay is only half the picture: compare it with what housing and taxes cost where you would live.
How many nurse practitioners work in Wisconsin?
BLS estimated 5,160 nurse practitioners employed in Wisconsin in May 2025. The federal NPI registry lists 8,184 with a Wisconsin practice address.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (bls.gov/oes), SOC 29-1171, all industries and ownerships. NPI counts: NPPES monthly file, August 2026 (CMS, public domain). BLS wages are straight-time pay: they include production bonuses but leave out overtime, shift differentials, non-production bonuses and benefits, and they exclude the self-employed.
Have an offer on the table?
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