Molecular and Cellular Biologist salary in Madison, WI
Based on 60 certified H-1B filings in the Madison, WI metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Fitchburg, Middleton.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $62,923 |
| 25th | $66,492 |
| 50th (median) | $75,862 |
| 75th | $85,064 |
| 90th | $128,927 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $61,090 | $58,573 | $65,797 | 22 |
| FY2021 | $59,000 | $54,144 | $66,732 | 25 |
| FY2022 | $66,000 | $60,000 | $74,000 | 23 |
| FY2023 | $64,325 | $60,000 | $79,215 | 28 |
| FY2024 | $71,707 | $56,981 | $80,434 | 12 |
| FY2025 | $75,000 | $65,923 | $93,604 | 39 |
| FY2026 | $75,982 | $66,948 | $79,971 | 21 |
Cost of living
Madison's median Molecular and Cellular Biologist salary of $75,862 is worth about $78,000 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Madison = 97.3).
Compared with all workers here
All Molecular and Cellular Biologists in the Madison, WI area earned a median of $77,550 in May 2025 (440 employed). The H-1B median here is $75,862, 2% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin System | $66,948 | 33 |
| Catalent Pharma Solutions | too few | 4 |
| FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics | too few | 4 |
| AbbVie | too few | 3 |
| Labcorp Early Development Laboratories | too few | 3 |
| Exact Sciences | too few | 2 |
| Howard Hughes Medical Institute | too few | 2 |
| JangoBio | too few | 2 |
| Nimble Therapeutics | 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 | $66,492 | 24 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $75,982 | 14 |
| Senior · Level III | $85,509 | 11 |
| Expert · Level IV | too few | 4 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $61,734 | $66,492 | 24 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $75,982 | $75,982 | 14 |
| Senior · Level III | $71,822 | $85,509 | 11 |
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.