SalaryExplorer

SOC 27-1026 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers — Madison

Madison, WI · 10 metro areas compared

$43,000 /year
$20.67per hour
380jobs in area
+9.2%vs US median

Median pay for this occupation in Madison, WI comes to $43,000 a year, ahead of the national median of $39,390 by 9.2%.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $39,39010TH$36,540MEDIAN$43,00075TH$49,29090TH$52,440

How pay has moved

$46,173$27,1382019202020212022202320242025$43,000
$30,310 in 2019 to $43,000 in 2025, +41.9% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow about as fast as average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+3.2%
Openings per year
20,800
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training

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 Madison, WI.

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 Madison, WI comes to $43,000 a year, ahead of the national median of $39,390 by 9.2%. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $37,140 and $49,290. The lowest tenth earn under $36,540, while the highest tenth earn more than $52,440.

Employment stands at 380, or 0.9 jobs per thousand held locally. Kenosha leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $48,060. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 459th of 534 by median pay.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Madison, WI · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$36,540−7.2%
25th$37,140−5.7%
Median (50th)$43,000+9.2%
75th$49,290+25.1%
90th$52,440+33.1%
Mean$44,910+14.0%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Wisconsin

Median annual wage for Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Kenosha$48,06080
2Racine$46,02080
3Janesville$45,48070
4Wausau$45,11080
5Fond du Lac$43,82040
6Oshkosh$43,680140
7Eau Claire$43,10080
8Green Bay$41,700150
9La Crosse$41,58090
10Milwaukee$40,070880

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Madison run 2.7% below the national average, so the median of $43,000 goes as far as $44,193 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 12.2% above the national median in real terms.

Published median

$43,000as reported by BLS

Local price level

97.3US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$44,193US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $43,000 a year, 9.2% above the national median.
  • Published pay spans $36,540 to $52,440 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 380 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Kenosha, at $48,060.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers in Madison, WI?

The median annual wage is $43,000, or $20.67 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 $39,390, so pay in Madison, WI is 9.2% 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 Madison, WI earns more than $52,440 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $36,540 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 Kenosha, at $48,060 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 380 jobs in this occupation in Madison, WI. 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.