How much do Social Science Research Assistants make in Madison, WI?

Percentile spread

For Social Science Research Assistants, the published 10th percentile is $46,450 and the 90th percentile is $79,230. The difference is $32,780, which is 65.4% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $50,090 to the 75th at $65,530, covers $15,440.

The mean annual wage is $56,970, which sits above the median of $50,090. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Madison, WI median is 19.2% lower than the national median of $61,990 for Social Science Research Assistants. In 2024 national prices the local median is $51,487, which is 16.9% lower than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 4.2% higher than the Wisconsin median of $48,090.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Madison, WI is 97.287, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $50,090 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Social Science Research Assistants at $51,487 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

One other metropolitan area within 200 miles publishes a annual median for Social Science Research Assistants. Madison, WI ranks 2nd of 2 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is 128 miles away, with a median of $64,890 and employment of 170. That median is 29.5% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $62,638, against $51,487 here.

Employment share

Social Science Research Assistants accounts for 0.01% of wage-and-salary employment in Madison, WI (40 of 408,070). Nationally the occupation is 0.02% of employment (30,640 of 155,495,730). The local share is 0.50 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.