How much does a Software Engineer make in Wisconsin?

BLS puts the average Software Engineer pay in Wisconsin at $122,620 a year (BLS, May 2025). On that pay in Wisconsin, after federal taxes, FICA, and Wisconsin state taxes, your estimated take-home pay is approximately $89,307 annually ($7,442/month).

What is the take-home pay for a Software Engineer in Wisconsin?

On a $122,620 salary in Wisconsin, your take-home pay is approximately $89,307/year or $7,442/month. Federal tax: $18,163. State tax: $5,770. FICA: $9,380.

Is $122,620 a good Software Engineer salary?

$122,620 is the BLS average Software Engineer pay in Wisconsin, 17% below the US average of $148,100 (BLS, May 2025). The middle 50% in Wisconsin earn between $97,740 and $138,590.

How do Wisconsin taxes affect Software Engineer salaries?

Wisconsin levies state income tax on top of federal taxes. Your estimated state tax on $122,620 is $5,770. Your total effective tax rate is approximately 27.2%.

What are the career growth prospects for Software Engineers?

In Wisconsin, the top 10% earn over $168,630 and the bottom 10% under $77,710 (BLS, May 2025). 25% growth through 2032 (much faster than average). Related roles include: Software Developer, Backend Engineer, Full Stack Developer, Frontend Engineer.

How can a Software Engineer in Wisconsin reduce their tax bill?

Maximize your 401(k) contribution ($24,500 in 2026) to reduce taxable income. An HSA ($4,400 single / $8,750 family) adds further pre-tax savings. These strategies can save thousands annually — use our calculator to see your exact savings.

Tech

Software Engineer Salary in Wisconsin (2026)

Average Software Engineer pay in Wisconsin

$122,620/year

≈ $59/hour before tax

Middle 50% earn $97,740–$138,590

US average: $148,100

Source: BLS, May 2025

After tax (single filer)

$89,307/year

$7,442/month · effective tax rate 27.17%

Federal $18,163
State $5,770
FICA $9,380
Take-home

Pay by role in Wisconsin

Staff / Principal Engineer (Epic / NM)$215,000–$365,000+ TC
Senior Engineer (Healthcare / Epic)$135,000–$215,000
Senior Engineer (Insurance / Fortune 500)$135,000–$205,000
Senior Engineer (Payments / Fintech)$135,000–$215,000
Senior Engineer (Industrial Automation)$135,000–$205,000
Engineering Manager$195,000–$345,000+ TC

See all 10 roles with notes

See the full tax breakdown

Category	Amount
Annual Take-Home Pay	$89,307
Monthly Take-Home Pay	$7,442
Biweekly Take-Home Pay	$3,435
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year	$43/hr
Federal Tax	$18,163
State Tax	$5,770
FICA Taxes	$9,380
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary	27.17%

Estimates only — not tax advice. · Full disclaimer →

Not all Software Engineers earn the same — not even close

Wisconsin's software engineering market is anchored by Epic Systems HQ Verona (~12K employees, the country's largest privately-held EHR + healthcare software company by hospital market share, founded 1979 by Judy Faulkner — Epic powers EHR for ~78% of US hospital beds), Northwestern Mutual HQ Milwaukee (Fortune 100, ~7,500 Milwaukee employees, the country's largest mutual life insurer with substantial in-house insurance + investment tech), Fiserv HQ Brookfield (Fortune 200 payments tech), American Family Insurance HQ Madison, plus Rockwell Automation industrial software + Foxconn Mount Pleasant.

Staff / Principal Engineer (Epic / NM)

$215,000–$365,000+ TC

Epic Systems Staff · NM Principal · Fiserv Principal · senior IC at Fortune 100 + Epic scale

Senior Engineer (Healthcare / Epic)

$135,000–$215,000

Epic Verona healthcare software · ~12K WI · Cosmos + Hyperspace + MyChart + ML + analytics

Senior Engineer (Insurance / Fortune 500)

$135,000–$205,000

Northwestern Mutual · American Family · CUNA Mutual · WPS · insurance + advisor + claims tech

Senior Engineer (Payments / Fintech)

$135,000–$215,000

Fiserv Brookfield · payment processing + card services + bank tech · post-First Data merger

Senior Engineer (Industrial Automation)

$135,000–$205,000

Rockwell Automation Milwaukee · FactoryTalk + Connected Enterprise · OT/IT integration

Engineering Manager

$195,000–$345,000+ TC

EM at Epic + NM + Fiserv + American Family · team leadership · partial equity-eligible

Senior Engineer (Manufacturing / R&D)

$125,000–$190,000

Harley-Davidson · Johnson Controls · Briggs & Stratton · Snap-on · industrial software

Mid-Level Engineer (3-6 yrs)

$108,000–$155,000

Functional IC at WI Fortune 500 · Epic Software Developer · transitioning to senior band

Junior Engineer (0-3 yrs)

$82,000–$118,000

UW-Madison CS + UW-Milwaukee + Marquette CS + Beloit + Lawrence pipeline · entry band

Senior Engineer (Remote, WI-based)

$155,000–$285,000+ TC

FAANG WI remote · Anthropic + OpenAI WI remote · MKE-airport hub for travel

Worth knowing: Epic Systems HQ Verona is the country's largest privately-held EHR + healthcare software company and the structural depth feature most national SE surveys understate for WI. Epic (~12K employees in Verona, founded 1979 by Judy Faulkner, ~$5B+ revenue, the country's #1 EHR by hospital market share at ~78% of US hospital beds and growing post-2020 acquisitions) operates substantial in-house engineering across MyChart patient portal + Cosmos clinical research + Hyperspace clinical UI + Beaker laboratory + Willow pharmacy + Beacon oncology + Stork OB/GYN + Cupid cardiology specialty modules. Epic's distinctive culture (campus-based, no remote work for engineers, Verona-only hiring, MUMPS-based proprietary stack) attracts substantial CS pipeline from UW-Madison + Big Ten + nationally. Senior Epic engineers clear $135-215K TC (Epic uses a distinctive non-public compensation system but base + bonus + stock-equivalent profit-sharing roughly matches Fortune 500 healthcare tech). Northwestern Mutual HQ Milwaukee (Fortune 100, ~7,500 employees, ~$30B revenue) operates substantial financial-services software including advisor platform + policy admin + investment management tech. WI's 7.65% top bracket (above ~$332,720 single / ~$443,630 ) is substantially lower than MN's 9.85% top, supporting better senior IC retention. WI's 2015 Right-to-Work via Act 1 is distinctive for the region.

Sources & Methodology

Salary figures are market estimates for Software Engineers in Wisconsin and vary by employer, specialty, seniority, and metro. Take-home math assumes a single filer with no dependents, the standard deduction, and Wisconsin 2026 state rates. Local taxes, insurance premiums, and pre-tax contributions will move your number — run the calculator for your own situation.

Run your own numbers