Appleton, WI metro area

Average Salary in Appleton, WI

The average salary in Appleton, Wisconsin is $62,240 a year ($29.93 an hour) across all jobs, and the median is $49,910, according to BLS estimates for May 2025 covering the Appleton, WI metro area. That is 11% less than the U.S. average ($69,770) and 3% less than the Wisconsin average ($64,270).

$62,240average salary
$49,910median salary
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
124,230jobs in the metro
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Average salary by job family in Appleton

Management$133,080
Legal$114,320
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical$111,330
Computer and Mathematical$94,650
Architecture and Engineering$87,750
Business and Financial Operations$85,100
Life, Physical, and Social Science$78,200
Construction and Extraction$73,050
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair$64,610
Community and Social Service$60,680
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media$60,000
Educational Instruction and Library$59,020
Protective Service$55,850
Production$53,620
Sales and Related$52,270
Office and Administrative Support$50,010
Transportation and Material Moving$45,220
Healthcare Support$41,310
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry$41,110
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance$40,500
Personal Care and Service$38,620
Food Preparation and Serving Related$32,850
BLS OEWS May 2025, all employers in the metro area.

Highest-paying jobs in Appleton

Most common jobs in Appleton and what they pay

JobJobsAverage salaryMedian
Retail Salespersons3,610$36,310$34,540
Fast Food and Counter Workers3,150$29,230$29,010
Home Health and Personal Care Aides2,820$36,500$37,010
Cashiers2,750$32,040$31,610
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand2,610$43,370$43,610
Customer Service Representatives2,540$47,670$45,760
Registered Nurses2,310$90,490$86,680
Office Clerks, General2,260$46,440$45,640
Stockers and Order Fillers2,000$36,630$34,430
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers1,980$58,230$58,730
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Cost of living in Appleton

Prices in the Appleton area are 8% below the U.S. average, with a BEA price parity of 92.4 for 2024. The average local salary of $62,240 therefore buys what $67,345 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. A typical home is worth $350,370, 4.2 times the median household income of $83,919.

$350,370typical home value
$83,919median household income
92.4BEA price parity
244,163metro population

Take-home pay in Appleton

Salary levelGrossAfter taxPer month
25th percentile wage$37,480$31,336$2,611
Median wage$49,910$40,710$3,393
Average wage$62,240$50,002$4,167
75th percentile wage$74,840$58,546$4,879

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

Compare Appleton with another city

Salaries for every job in Appleton

Management22 jobs
Legal2 jobs
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical30 jobs
Computer and Mathematical11 jobs
Architecture and Engineering14 jobs
Business and Financial Operations22 jobs
Life, Physical, and Social Science7 jobs
Construction and Extraction21 jobs
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair20 jobs
Community and Social Service9 jobs
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media7 jobs
Educational Instruction and Library20 jobs
Protective Service10 jobs
Production40 jobs
Sales and Related14 jobs
Office and Administrative Support36 jobs
Transportation and Material Moving15 jobs
Healthcare Support12 jobs
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry2 jobs
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance6 jobs
Personal Care and Service13 jobs
Food Preparation and Serving Related14 jobs

Average salary in nearby cities

Average salary in Wisconsin

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Salary in Appleton: questions

What is a good salary in Appleton?

Half of all workers in the Appleton metro earn less than $49,910 and the average is $62,240. Earning more than $74,840 puts you in the top quarter of local wages.

How much do you need to earn in Appleton to match a $69,770 salary elsewhere?

About $64,481, because prices here are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.4).

What are the highest-paying jobs in Appleton?

Physicians, All Other ($407,640), Nurse Anesthetists ($263,260), Chief Executives ($253,990).

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