SOC 11-1021 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
General and Operations Managers — Wisconsin
Wisconsin · 10 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Wisconsin comes to $118,730 a year, ahead of the national median of $105,770 by 12.3%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +4.4%
- Openings per year
- 308,700
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- 5 years or more
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Wisconsin.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
Median pay for this occupation in Wisconsin comes to $118,730 a year, ahead of the national median of $105,770 by 12.3%. Pay ranges from under $59,540 at the tenth percentile to more than $247,560 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $79,360 to $171,130.
Employment stands at 36,910, or 12.5 jobs per thousand held locally. Wisconsin ranks number 13th out of 51 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Madison records the highest median at $126,620. Of the 728 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 53rd.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $59,540 | −43.7% |
| 25th | $79,360 | −25.0% |
| Median (50th) | $118,730 | +12.3% |
| 75th | $171,130 | +61.8% |
| 90th | $247,560 | +134.1% |
| Mean | $140,350 | +32.7% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Wisconsin
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Madison | $126,620 | 5,130 | |
| 2 | Milwaukee | $125,490 | 10,480 | |
| 3 | Sheboygan | $122,130 | 690 | |
| 4 | Janesville | $121,540 | 830 | |
| 5 | Fond du Lac | $114,410 | 580 | |
| 6 | Green Bay | $112,500 | 2,110 | |
| 7 | Oshkosh | $111,210 | 1,100 | |
| 8 | Appleton | $109,890 | 1,640 | |
| 9 | Wausau | $107,550 | 810 | |
| 10 | Racine | $106,740 | 1,010 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Wisconsin run 5.9% below the national average, so the median of $118,730 goes as far as $126,174 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 19.3% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$118,730as reported by BLSLocal price level
94.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$126,174US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $118,730 a year, 12.3% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $59,540 to $247,560 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 36,910 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 13th of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Madison, at $126,620.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for General and Operations Managers in Wisconsin?
The median annual wage is $118,730, or $57.08 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $105,770, so pay in Wisconsin is 12.3% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Wisconsin earns more than $247,560 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $59,540 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Madison, at $126,620 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 36,910 jobs in this occupation in Wisconsin. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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