Entry-level Software Engineer salary in Milwaukee, WI
Based on 70 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Waukesha, Brookfield, Franklin, Menomonee Falls, Wauwatosa.
Also listed as: Software Developer, Software Development Engineer, SDE
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $75,525 |
| 25th | $75,600 |
| 50th (median) | $79,520 |
| 75th | $90,000 |
| 90th | $104,719 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $65,000 | $60,000 | $70,000 | 64 |
| FY2021 | $75,000 | $68,000 | $92,352 | 38 |
| FY2022 | $72,000 | $63,232 | $79,978 | 39 |
| FY2023 | $72,750 | $68,568 | $78,730 | 34 |
| FY2024 | $78,390 | $70,304 | $85,644 | 26 |
| FY2025 | $76,000 | $75,525 | $84,310 | 40 |
| FY2026 | $85,000 | $79,040 | $91,950 | 30 |
Cost of living
Milwaukee's median entry-level Software Engineer salary of $79,520 is worth about $82,000 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Milwaukee = 96.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Developers in the Milwaukee, WI area earned a median of $123,730 in May 2025 (6,170 employed). The H-1B median here is $79,520, 36% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Quest Global Services- | $79,040 | 15 |
| Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company | too few | 5 |
| Tuppl Technologies | too few | 3 |
| Ursi Technologies | too few | 3 |
| EY | too few | 2 |
| Ascension Logistics | too few | 2 |
| Best Version Media | too few | 2 |
| FasTrak SoftWorks | too few | 2 |
| FlexTrade Systems | too few | 2 |
| Golgix | 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 | $79,520 | 70 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $96,564 | 236 |
| Senior · Level III | $123,600 | 161 |
| Expert · Level IV | $142,342 | 164 |
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 | $75,525 | $79,520 | 70 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $94,307 | $96,564 | 236 |
| Senior · Level III | $113,922 | $123,600 | 161 |
| Expert · Level IV | $131,373 | $142,342 | 164 |
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.