Conservation Scientists in Wisconsin
May 2025 wages · tax year 2026
You keep
$61,519
after federal, FICA and Wisconsin tax
Tax takes
$18,021
22.7% of the whole
Worth, in national money
$66,081
Wisconsin costs less than average
On that salary you would be around the 25th percentile for this work in Wisconsin — roughly, since only five points along the band are published.
One filer, standard deduction, no dependants and nothing paid in before tax — the same household the rest of this page uses, so the comparison holds. City and school-district income taxes are not included.
Median here
$79,540
Kept after tax
$61,519
Worth in national money
$66,081
State rank
9
of 51 states
What this pays, and what it is worth
- Wisconsin is one of the better-paying states for conservation scientists. The middle earner takes $79,540, which ranks 9 of 51 states with published figures. That is about 8.94% above the national middle.
- Within Wisconsin this is well-paid work. Of 491 occupations with published figures in the state, conservation scientists ranks 121 — in the top quarter of everything people do there.
- Cheaper living works in this state's favor. From $79,540 you keep $61,519 after tax, and local prices stretch that to the equivalent of $66,081 at national prices. Here the average runs under the middle, at $77,760.
- Wisconsin ranks 9 of 51 states publishing a median for conservation scientists, at $79,540 — about 8.94% above the national median. A state's position on nominal pay is the figure wage tables report and the least informative of the three on this page, because it survives neither the tax adjustment nor the price adjustment intact for most occupations.
- Ranked against every occupation Wisconsin publishes a median for, conservation scientists sits 121 of 491 — the upper quartile of the state's wage distribution. National standing and within-state standing are separate questions, and a job can occupy very different positions on each.
- Retained pay in Wisconsin is $61,519 after the full tax stack, from $79,540. Because the state's price level runs below the national average, the price-adjusted equivalent is $66,081 — a real-terms figure describing purchasing power rather than compensation, and not a number that appears on any pay stub. Mean pay of $77,760 sits under the median, so the lower tail is the longer one.
Compare this career across states
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Pay band: Conservation Scientists
The state median for this job
| Lowest tenth earn under | $47,440 |
|---|---|
| Half earn under | $79,540 |
| Top tenth earn over | $102,750 |
| This salary | $79,540 |
Positions between the published tenth, quarter, half, three-quarter and ninetieth points are estimated by straight line.
The same pay, somewhere else
The state median for this job
| Take-home in Wisconsin | $61,519 |
|---|---|
| Take-home in Texas | $64,786 |
| Once local prices are leveledBEA price parity | +$589 |
State income tax and state price levels only. No city income tax, and no housing market.
What you would need there
The state median for this job
| To match take-home only | $74,896 |
|---|---|
| You could take a cut of | −$814 |
| Prices in Texas | 97 vs 93 |
State taxes and state price levels only. No city tax, and no housing market.
Sources and assumptions
- Treat $79,540 as a midpoint for Wisconsin, not a promise. The tenth percentile is $47,440 and the ninetieth is $102,750 — a wide band, and where you land in it depends on far more than the state.
- In Wisconsin the take-home figure of $61,519, from $79,540, assumes one filer, no dependants, and nothing paid into a pension before tax. Each of those lowers the bill, so treat it as the plain case. City and school-district income taxes are not included either, and in a few states those are real money. It ranks 121 of 491 occupations here.
- The wage data and the price data come from different years. That is how each is published. The price adjustment behind $66,081 uses one figure for the whole of Wisconsin. A city and a rural county there can differ by more than two states do. Out of 491 occupations the state publishes, this one sits at 121.
- The Wisconsin median of $79,540 describes the midpoint of a distribution spanning $47,440 to $102,750. Because that spread is typically larger than the interstate spread, a state median is a weak predictor for any individual worker in this occupation.
- Take-home for Wisconsin is computed for a single filer taking the standard deduction with no dependants and no pre-tax contributions, giving $61,519 from $79,540. Each omitted item reduces taxable income, so the figure is a lower bound on retained pay for this household shape. Municipal and school-district income taxes are excluded, which understates the burden materially in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland. The occupation ranks 121 of 491 locally.
- Wage and price series carry different reference periods, each published on its own schedule. The real-terms figure of $66,081, worked from $79,540, deflates by a statewide parity that conceals substantial intra-state variation, concentrated in housing — so it supports comparison between states rather than the pricing of a move to a particular Wisconsin address, on work sitting at 121 of 491 locally.
Questions people ask
How much does pay for this job actually vary?
The range here is narrow. From $47,440 at the bottom tenth to $102,750 at the top, pay for this work clusters rather than spreads.
What does this pay actually buy where I live?
Further than the number implies. Wisconsin is cheaper than the national average, so this take-home behaves like $66,081 in national terms.
Where does the difference between the wage and my paycheck go?
Three of them are federal and one is not. After income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Wisconsin's own levy, $61,519 remains.
Can I compare this job across every state?
Yes for this one. Pay is published in all 51 jurisdictions, so a state-to-state comparison here rests on the same survey everywhere rather than on a patchwork.
What is the dispersion of this occupation's wage distribution?
The tenth-to-ninetieth percentile span ($47,440 to $102,750) sits at or below the family's median dispersion, indicating relatively standardized compensation. Percentiles are published per state, so this dispersion is specific to Wisconsin rather than a national figure.
What is this occupation's price-adjusted compensation in this state?
Wisconsin's regional price parity is at or below the national average, so nominal wages understate purchasing power. Take-home deflated by the state price level is $66,081 in national-average terms. The adjustment uses an all-items index and does not isolate housing.
What accounts for the gap between gross wage and take-home here?
Take-home of $61,519 reflects federal income tax, OASDI, Medicare and Wisconsin income tax for a single filer with no adjustments. The state layer is levied in addition to the federal one; only its rate and base differ between states.
Is this occupation's state coverage complete?
State-level estimates are published for all 51 jurisdictions for this occupation, so cross-state comparison is not confounded by suppression. ⚠️ Estimates remain survey-based and carry sampling error; small differences between adjacent states should not be over-read.