The average salary for a Registered Nurse in Madison is 80,729 $ per year on a 40-hour full-time equivalent, or 6,727 $ gross per month and 38.81 $ gross per hour. The reported full-time salary range is 57,778 $ to 118,500 $. The analysis is based on 40 salary reports from workers and employers in Madison. Part-time salaries are proportionally converted to 40 weekly hours so the values are comparable.
| Date | Job title | Weekly hours | Reported gross/year | Normalized to 40h/year | Gross/month 40h | Gross/hour 40h | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03/08/2026 | Registered Nurse | 36.0 h | 70,700 $ | 78,556 $ | 6,546 $ | 37.77 $ | I'm a new graduate who started in 2026 on a med-surg float team, working 36 hours/week and rotating through different units as part of orientation. |
| 01/20/2026 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 105,500 $ | 105,500 $ | 8,792 $ | 50.72 $ | I'm a senior perioperative RN with over 10 years' OR experience at a major hospital. I work full-time and assist with training newer nurses. |
| 12/29/2025 | Registered Nurse | 20.0 h | 34,500 $ | 69,000 $ | 5,750 $ | 33.17 $ | I'm a per diem nurse who usually picks up about 20 hours/week across different clinics; pay is higher per hour but I don't get benefits. |
| 11/11/2025 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 98,200 $ | 98,200 $ | 8,183 $ | 47.21 $ | I'm a clinic supervisor at a busy outpatient practice. I still do some patient-facing work in addition to supervision and report full-time hours. |
| 08/30/2025 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 118,500 $ | 118,500 $ | 9,875 $ | 56.97 $ | I accepted a high-paying travel contract in 2025 for emergency nursing; I worked full-time for the contract year and logged 40 hours/week. |
| 05/22/2025 | Registered Nurse | 22.0 h | 36,000 $ | 65,455 $ | 5,455 $ | 31.47 $ | I work part-time in community health doing outreach and vaccinations at about 22 hours/week. I have three years of public health nursing experience. |
| 02/03/2025 | Registered Nurse | 45.0 h | 129,000 $ | 114,667 $ | 9,556 $ | 55.13 $ | I'm a director-level RN managing multiple outpatient sites. My role is administrative and clinical oversight; I typically work 45 hours/week. |
| 12/15/2024 | Registered Nurse | 38.0 h | 92,500 $ | 97,368 $ | 8,114 $ | 46.81 $ | I work in outpatient surgery as a senior RN and often assist with case coordination. I work about 38 hours/week and have leadership responsibilities on my team. |
| 10/19/2024 | Registered Nurse | 35.0 h | 67,000 $ | 76,571 $ | 6,381 $ | 36.81 $ | I'm employed full-time by the local school district as a school nurse working a 35-hour schedule during the school year. |
| 07/08/2024 | Registered Nurse | 30.0 h | 58,000 $ | 77,333 $ | 6,444 $ | 37.18 $ | I'm a telehealth RN working remotely about 30 hours/week. I handle triage calls and follow-ups for patients across the state. |
| 04/27/2024 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 90,500 $ | 90,500 $ | 7,542 $ | 43.51 $ | I work full-time as an outpatient clinic RN at a large health system. I've been here several years and my role includes triage and chronic care management. |
| 01/16/2024 | Registered Nurse | 42.0 h | 112,000 $ | 106,667 $ | 8,889 $ | 51.28 $ | I'm an ICU charge RN with extensive critical care experience working about 42 hours/week in a tertiary care center. I handle staffing and clinical leadership on shift. |
| 11/29/2023 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 99,500 $ | 99,500 $ | 8,292 $ | 47.84 $ | I'm a critical care educator on staff at a tertiary hospital. My role blends teaching and clinical work and I typically work full-time. |
| 09/30/2023 | Registered Nurse | 18.0 h | 31,000 $ | 68,889 $ | 5,741 $ | 33.12 $ | I'm a per diem nurse picking up roughly 18 hours/week at various departments. My schedule is variable and I don't have benefits. |
| 05/11/2023 | Registered Nurse | 36.0 h | 62,000 $ | 68,889 $ | 5,741 $ | 33.12 $ | I'm a relatively new staff RN on med-surg with two years of experience. I work 36 hours/week and recently received a modest raise. |
| 02/20/2023 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 106,000 $ | 106,000 $ | 8,833 $ | 50.96 $ | I'm a lead RN with unofficial supervisory duties in a critical care unit at a major hospital. I have over 12 years' experience and work full-time. |
| 12/05/2022 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 98,500 $ | 98,500 $ | 8,208 $ | 47.36 $ | I took a high-paying travel ER contract in late 2022 for several months and reported the annualized gross for that year; I worked full-time at 40 hours/week. |
| 08/14/2022 | Registered Nurse | 36.0 h | 74,200 $ | 82,444 $ | 6,870 $ | 39.64 $ | I'm an infusion RN at an outpatient center working 36 hours/week. I manage IV therapies and coordinate closely with oncology teams. |
| 03/29/2022 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 88,500 $ | 88,500 $ | 7,375 $ | 42.55 $ | I work in the operating room as a perioperative RN at a regional medical center. I have advanced periop experience and work full-time. |
| 11/02/2021 | Registered Nurse | 30.0 h | 52,500 $ | 70,000 $ | 5,833 $ | 33.65 $ | I do home health nursing part-time at about 30 hours/week. I manage complex discharges and have been with the agency for five years. |
| 06/18/2021 | Registered Nurse | 42.0 h | 102,000 $ | 97,143 $ | 8,095 $ | 46.70 $ | I'm a nurse manager overseeing a clinical unit at a large hospital system. I handle staffing, budgets, and clinical oversight and work about 42 hours/week. |
| 01/07/2021 | Registered Nurse | 38.0 h | 84,000 $ | 88,421 $ | 7,368 $ | 42.51 $ | I'm an ER RN with eight years' experience at a busy urban emergency department. I work primarily 12-hour nights but average about 38 hours/week. |
| 11/13/2020 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 82,200 $ | 82,200 $ | 6,850 $ | 39.52 $ | I'm a charge nurse on a surgical unit at a regional hospital. I coordinate admissions and supervise bedside staff during my shift. |
| 09/25/2020 | Registered Nurse | 25.0 h | 42,500 $ | 68,000 $ | 5,667 $ | 32.69 $ | I'm a school nurse working part-time during the school year (about 25 hours/week). I handle chronic condition care and medication administration. |
| 04/10/2020 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 76,500 $ | 76,500 $ | 6,375 $ | 36.78 $ | I work as an ICU RN during the early 2020 pandemic period at a large regional hospital. My shifts were primarily nights and I had some hazard pay. |
| 12/18/2019 | Registered Nurse | 36.0 h | 65,500 $ | 72,778 $ | 6,065 $ | 34.99 $ | I work in the float pool and cover multiple departments. I'm full-time at 36 hours/week and have been in the role for four years. |
| 06/01/2019 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 70,500 $ | 70,500 $ | 5,875 $ | 33.89 $ | I'm a mid-level med-surg RN at a large teaching hospital. I have six years of experience and often pick up extra shifts. |
| 03/06/2019 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 73,500 $ | 73,500 $ | 6,125 $ | 35.34 $ | I'm an L&D RN with five years' experience working full-time. I work rotating nights and days and assist with deliveries and triage. |
| 02/14/2019 | Registered Nurse | 20.0 h | 33,000 $ | 66,000 $ | 5,500 $ | 31.73 $ | I'm a part-time clinic RN working two 10-hour shifts per week at a nonprofit clinic. I've been here three years and do patient education and triage. |
| 11/02/2018 | Registered Nurse | 20.0 h | 32,300 $ | 64,600 $ | 5,383 $ | 31.06 $ | I do home care visits part-time (about 20 hours/week) and support patients with chronic illness management in their homes. |
| 09/30/2018 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 89,500 $ | 89,500 $ | 7,458 $ | 43.03 $ | I worked as a travel RN on short-term contracts in 2018, mostly in critical care assignments. I worked full-time for the contract year and got higher pay because of travel premiums. |
| 05/21/2018 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 72,200 $ | 72,200 $ | 6,017 $ | 34.71 $ | I'm an infusion RN at a specialty clinic working full-time. I administer complex infusions and monitor patients closely during treatments. |
| 03/05/2018 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 60,000 $ | 60,000 $ | 5,000 $ | 28.85 $ | I work full-time on the postpartum unit at a small suburban hospital. I'm an early-career RN and primarily take day shifts. |
| 10/12/2017 | Registered Nurse | 42.0 h | 82,000 $ | 78,095 $ | 6,508 $ | 37.55 $ | I'm a charge nurse on a medical floor for a large hospital system. I lead the shift clinically but don't have formal administrative responsibilities beyond scheduling. |
| 07/19/2017 | Registered Nurse | 30.0 h | 45,300 $ | 60,400 $ | 5,033 $ | 29.04 $ | I work in hospice care part-time at roughly 30 hours/week providing home visits and end-of-life support. I have several years of palliative nursing experience. |
| 04/22/2017 | Registered Nurse | 24.0 h | 42,000 $ | 70,000 $ | 5,833 $ | 33.65 $ | I'm a part-time ER RN working three 8-hour shifts per week at a busy urban ED. I have four years of experience and am paid hourly with a guaranteed annual amount. |
| 12/01/2016 | Registered Nurse | 32.0 h | 48,000 $ | 60,000 $ | 5,000 $ | 28.85 $ | I'm a psychiatric RN at a community behavioral health facility working four 8-hour shifts per week and providing treatment planning and crisis intervention. |
| 11/03/2016 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 74,500 $ | 74,500 $ | 6,208 $ | 35.82 $ | I work in the ICU as a senior staff RN at a mid-sized hospital. I have about seven years of experience and cover rotating shifts. |
| 08/15/2016 | Registered Nurse | 36.0 h | 52,000 $ | 57,778 $ | 4,815 $ | 27.78 $ | I'm an entry-level med-surg RN at a small community hospital. I've been here two years, working 36 hours/week on day shift without supervisory duties. |
| 07/12/2016 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 66,000 $ | 66,000 $ | 5,500 $ | 31.73 $ | I'm a research RN on a full-time grant-funded project. I coordinate study visits and collect clinical data, working regular daytime hours. |
Madison, Wisconsin is a regional healthcare hub anchored by a major academic medical center, a strong network of community hospitals, and a fast-growing metro population. Registered Nurses in Madison typically find a steady mix of openings across hospital inpatient units, outpatient clinics, home health, hospice, behavioral health, public health, research, and clinical informatics. The city’s role as the state capital and home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison helps sustain year-round demand for nursing talent.
Employers in the Madison area often recruit for medical-surgical, critical care, perioperative, emergency, obstetrics, pediatrics, behavioral health, and ambulatory care roles. The presence of advanced specialty services—such as transplant, oncology, and complex surgical programs—means the local market routinely seeks nurses with strong clinical skills, while also providing launch points for new graduates through formal residencies. Wisconsin participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact, which can make it easier for RNs licensed in other compact states to transition into Madison positions.
The labor market for Registered Nurses in Madison is generally favorable. The metro continues to add residents and attracts patients from across south-central Wisconsin for tertiary and quaternary care, supporting consistent inpatient and clinic volumes. Many employers report ongoing needs driven by population aging, retirements in the nursing workforce, and expanded services in ambulatory and community settings. National projections anticipate continued RN growth over the decade, and local conditions often mirror that trend.
Hiring demand is commonly seen in hospital med–surg units, ICUs, step-down units, the operating room, and the emergency department. At the same time, the shift of procedures to outpatient centers and the growth of chronic disease management have created more roles in primary care, specialty clinics, care coordination, and telehealth. Public health and behavioral health employers in the Madison area also recruit RNs for community-based and inpatient psychiatric care. New graduates typically compete most successfully when they enter nurse residency programs, while experienced nurses may find multiple options to lateral into high-demand specialties or leadership tracks.
Regional education programs—including the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing, Edgewood College, and Madison College—supply new nurses, but retirements and service expansion often keep vacancy rates visible across the system. Many employers prefer or encourage the BSN, especially in acute care and academic settings, though ADN-prepared nurses frequently find opportunities in a range of care environments. Certifications such as ACLS, PALS, TNCC, or specialty credentials can strengthen candidacy for critical care, ED, OR, pediatrics, or obstetrics.
Madison’s provider landscape combines academic medicine, community hospitals, federal and state facilities, and a robust clinic network:
RNs in Madison can pursue diverse tracks: acute care bedside practice with progression to charge nurse or clinical nurse specialist roles; perioperative nursing with on-the-job training into scrub/circulator positions; ICU or ED specialization; maternal–child care; or pediatric subspecialties. Many health systems in the city offer nurse residency programs for new graduates and structured transition-to-practice pathways for nurses changing specialties.
Outside the hospital, opportunities are strong in ambulatory specialty clinics, oncology infusion centers, procedural areas, and population health. Case management, telehealth triage, and care coordination roles are common in integrated delivery systems and health plans. Nurses interested in academia or research often find roles as study coordinators, educators, or quality improvement specialists linked to UW–Madison. Community-minded RNs can explore public health nursing, school nursing with local districts, correctional health in nearby facilities, or nonprofit and faith-based agencies.
The Madison area’s mix of academic medicine, community care, public sector services, and a nationally known health tech industry creates a resilient ecosystem for Registered Nurses. With ongoing regional growth and a breadth of employers, the outlook in Madison generally remains positive for both experienced nurses and new graduates seeking to build long-term careers.
The average salary for a Registered Nurse in Madison is 80,729 $ per year on a 40-hour basis, or 6,727 $ gross per month.
Part-time and full-time reports are normalized to a 40-hour workweek so salary reports can be compared fairly.
You can find more comparisons on the profession overview for Registered Nurse and the city overview for Madison. They show reported cities or jobs with their difference from the average.
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