Senior Systems Engineer / Architect salary in Madison, WI
Based on 29 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the Madison, WI metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Middleton, Verona, Dodgeville, Sun Prairie, Deforest.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $91,166 |
| 25th | $94,037 |
| 50th (median) | $94,037 |
| 75th | $125,000 |
| 90th | $141,500 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $93,275 | $80,500 | $102,631 | 39 |
| FY2021 | $90,002 | $80,628 | $120,000 | 13 |
| FY2022 | $85,000 | $84,240 | $98,195 | 20 |
| FY2023 | $92,100 | $86,378 | $125,750 | 11 |
| FY2024 | $93,041 | $87,755 | $116,471 | 14 |
| FY2025 | $93,294 | $91,166 | $113,142 | 14 |
| FY2026 | $107,272 | $94,037 | $127,588 | 15 |
Cost of living
Madison's median senior Systems Engineer / Architect salary of $94,037 is worth about $96,700 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Madison = 97.3).
Compared with all workers here
All Computer Systems Engineers/Architects in the Madison, WI area earned a median of $97,950 in May 2025 (1,460 employed). The H-1B median here is $94,037, 4% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Cognizant | too few | 7 |
| Atos Syntel | too few | 5 |
| American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. | too few | 4 |
| Infosys | too few | 3 |
| Customer Analytics | too few | 2 |
| Enterprise Solution Partners | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | – | 0 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $85,899 | 50 |
| Senior · Level III | $94,037 | 29 |
| Expert · Level IV | $123,611 | 18 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-level · Level II | $75,150 | $85,899 | 50 |
| Senior · Level III | $94,037 | $94,037 | 29 |
| Expert · Level IV | $107,162 | $123,611 | 18 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.