Wisconsin workers are earning a solid average of $34.69 an hour, but they are not exactly burning the midnight oil. New federal data show that in April 2026 the typical worker logged just 32.9 hours a week, leaving the state solidly mid rank for hourly pay and toward the lower end for average weekly hours. The figures are calculated across total private employment and do not necessarily describe any individual worker's schedule.
According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Wisconsin's total private average hourly earnings were $34.69 in April 2026, with average weekly earnings of $1,141.30 and an average workweek of 32.9 hours. The BLS tables were published as part of the State Employment and Unemployment release on May 22, 2026. These figures are not seasonally adjusted and reflect pay across all private industries and firm sizes.
How Wisconsin Stacks Up
That $34.69 average plants Wisconsin squarely in the middle of the national pack. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel put the state at 26th for average hourly pay and noted that hourly earnings rose $0.37 from April 2025 to April 2026. At the top of the chart, the District of Columbia clocked in at $57.39 per hour, while Louisiana workers recorded the longest average workweek at 36.3 hours. On the other end, Delaware and several other small states posted some of the shortest weekly hours. The Journal Sentinel story pulls together the federal tables so readers can see exactly where Wisconsin lands against its national peers.
Minimum Wage Hasn't Budged
Despite those midrange averages, Wisconsin's statutory minimum wage still sits at the federal floor of $7.25 an hour, a rate that has been in place since July 24, 2009. The figure is codified in state administrative rules at DWD 272.03. That means pay at the very bottom of the scale has not moved in years, even as average hourly earnings continue to edge up.
Because these are statewide averages, they hide big differences between metros, industries, and full time versus part time schedules, and Milwaukee, Madison, and rural counties can all look very different. The Journal Sentinel coverage includes interactive tables and county breakdowns for readers who want a closer look at the numbers. Policy debates over wage floors and workforce supports are likely to use this latest snapshot as they resume over the summer.
