Wisconsin's average physician assistant salary of $136,750 places it below neighboring Minnesota ($147,630) and Indiana ($144,260) but above Michigan ($132,140) and Illinois ($131,880). Employers in Wisconsin should expect candidates with competing offers from Minnesota to push for higher compensation, particularly at the senior level. Budgeting at or above the Wisconsin median of $133,950 keeps offers competitive within the state while remaining below the regional high-water mark.
Physician assistant salary in Wisconsin (2026)
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The average physician assistant salary in Wisconsin is $136,750 per year. A small pool of very high earners pulls that average upward, so the median of $133,950 gives employers a more reliable starting point for most hiring decisions. Wisconsin employs 3,580 physician assistants, and the $2,800 gap between the mean and median reflects real variation in the candidate pool you will be evaluating. Junior physician assistants in Wisconsin typically earn around $102,420, while senior specialists typically reach or exceed the $169,150 level at the 90th percentile. Plan for a range rather than a single number when budgeting for a physician assistant hire in Wisconsin, and anchor that range to the seniority and specialization of the role you are filling.
Metric / Value
Metric | Value |
Median Annual Salary | $133,950 |
Average Annual Salary | $136,750 |
vs. National Average | 3.2% below the national mean of $141,280 |
Data comes from the BLS OEWS and covers 3,580 employed physician assistants across Wisconsin.
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Physician assistant salary percentiles in Wisconsin
Percentile | Annual Salary |
10th Percentile | $102,420 |
25th Percentile | $125,640 |
75th Percentile | $156,800 |
90th Percentile | $169,150 |
Employers setting an offer for a physician assistant in Wisconsin should expect that most candidates will fall between $125,640 and $156,800, which covers the middle half of the market. Roles requiring specialized experience or leadership responsibilities will push compensation toward the $169,150 level that senior specialists in Wisconsin typically reach or exceed.
City | Average Annual Salary |
Appleton | $139,150 |
Milwaukee | $138,410 |
Racine | $133,600 |
Green Bay | $130,370 |
Madison | $129,360 |
Location-based compensation decisions in Wisconsin carry real budget implications, since average pay varies by nearly $10,000 across the state's major metros. Appleton leads at $139,150 while Madison sits at $129,360, meaning a role in Appleton may require a meaningfully higher offer than the same role in Madison. Employers hiring across multiple Wisconsin locations should set city-specific salary bands rather than relying on a single statewide figure.
How Wisconsin compares to other states
State | Average Annual Salary | Median Annual Salary |
Wisconsin | $136,750 | $133,950 |
Minnesota | $147,630 | $141,190 |
Indiana | $144,260 | $132,050 |
Iowa | $139,870 | $134,770 |
Michigan | $132,140 | $131,510 |
Illinois | $131,880 | $131,950 |
Wisconsin sits in the middle of the regional market, making it a moderately cost-effective state for physician assistant hiring compared to Minnesota and Indiana but slightly more expensive than Michigan and Illinois. Wisconsin's average of $136,750 trails Minnesota's $147,630 by roughly $11,000, so employers competing for candidates who have offers from Minnesota-based health systems will need to account for that gap. Michigan and Illinois both come in below Wisconsin, which gives employers in those states a modest cost advantage when recruiting the same candidate pool.
Frequently asked questions about physician assistant salary in Wisconsin
How does Wisconsin compare to other states for physician assistant salary?
What do the top-earning physician assistants make in Wisconsin?
Physician assistants at the 90th percentile in Wisconsin earn $169,150 per year. Roles that reach this level typically involve specialized clinical areas, supervisory responsibilities, or high-demand practice settings. Employers competing for senior talent should treat $169,150 as a realistic ceiling for most offers, with compensation above that level reserved for highly specialized or leadership-track positions.
What is the salary range for a physician assistant in Wisconsin?
The full salary range for physician assistants in Wisconsin runs from $102,420 at the 10th percentile to $169,150 at the 90th percentile. The middle half of the market falls between $125,640 and $156,800, which is the most useful range for setting offers for candidates with moderate to strong experience. Anchoring your initial offer within that middle band and leaving room to move toward $156,800 for experienced candidates gives you a defensible and market-aligned compensation structure.
What is the average physician assistant salary in Wisconsin?
The average physician assistant salary in Wisconsin is $136,750 per year, with a median of $133,950. The $2,800 gap between those two figures reflects a modest pull from higher-compensated roles at the top of the market. For most hiring decisions, the median of $133,950 is the more reliable anchor when setting a baseline offer.
Physician Assistant salary by state
Data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2025, SOC code 29-1071 (Physician Assistants).
Disclaimer
Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide or be relied on for tax, accounting, or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, accounting, and legal advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.
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