Entry-level Molecular and Cellular Biologist salary in Madison, WI

Based on 24 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Madison, WI metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Fitchburg, Middleton.

Median salary$66,492
Middle 50%$63.9k–$70k
vs. all levels here−12%comparison median $75,862
Filings24FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $61,734 and $85,000.
PercentileSalary
10th$61,901
25th$63,912
50th (median)$66,492
75th$70,000
90th$77,220

Salary by year

Median salary

$50k $65k $80k FY2020: median $58,980 (15 filings) FY2021: median $57,456 (21 filings) FY2022: median $60,000 (14 filings) FY2023: median $62,200 (16 filings) FY2025: median $67,150 (16 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 15 filings FY20 FY2021: 21 filings FY21 FY2022: 14 filings FY22 FY2023: 16 filings FY23 FY2024: 7 filings FY24 FY2025: 16 filings FY25 FY2026: 8 filings FY26 21
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$58,980$58,573$63,50015
FY2021$57,456$53,414$61,80021
FY2022$60,000$55,974$66,83614
FY2023$62,200$59,325$65,12216
FY2024–––7
FY2025$67,150$64,750$70,00016
FY2026–––8

Cost of living

Madison's median entry-level Molecular and Cellular Biologist salary of $66,492 is worth about $68,300 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 $66,492, 14% 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

EmployerMedianFilings
University of Wisconsin System$66,30021

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
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 levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$61,734$66,49224
Mid-level · Level II$75,982$75,98214
Senior · Level III$71,822$85,50911

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.