Technical Writers pay range in Madison
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $54,600 a year or less, while the top 10% make $111,920 or more. The middle half of technical writers in Madison earn between $69,430 and $102,000.
- $55K10th
- $69K25th
- $86KMedian
- $102K75th
- $112K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $86,940 | $7,245 | $41.80 |
| Median | $86,180 | $7,182 | $41.43 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $69,430 | $5,786 | $33.38 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $102,000 | $8,500 | $49.04 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Technical Writers salary after taxes in Madison
On the average salary of $86,940, a single filer in Madison takes home about $66,340 a year, or $5,528 a month and $2,552 every two weeks. Taxes take 24% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
Is Madison a good place for technical writers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Madison area are 3% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.3), so the average $86,940 buys what about $89,364 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Madison ($58,080). A typical home costs $452,769, or 5.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Technical Writers salary in other Wisconsin cities
Madison ranks 2nd of 3 Wisconsin metro areas for this job; Milwaukee pays the most ($90,210).
Highest-paying cities for technical writers
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($139,970).
- San Jose, CA$139,970
- San Francisco, CA$137,560
- Santa Rosa, CA$127,330
- Boulder, CO$115,710
- Boston, MA$115,210
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Technical Writers salary in Madison: questions
How much do technical writers make an hour in Madison?
$41.80 an hour on average, and $41.43 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level technical writers salary in Madison?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $54,600 a year and the 25th percentile is $69,430, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the technical writers take-home pay in Madison?
About $66,340 a year ($5,528 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $86,940.
Do technical writers earn more in Madison than elsewhere?
The average here is 12% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($99,139).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 27-3042; area Madison, WI (31540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.3%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.49, this job is 1.5 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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