Hiring an information security analyst in Madison, WI

Employers in the Madison, WI area pay information security analysts a median of $104,110, with the middle half of the market between $87,620 and $130,330. Madison residents working in computer and mathematical occupations report a median of $92,030, which is 12% below what the metro pays for this role.

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What does an information security analyst earn here?

Place of work

What employers pay

Annual wages paid by employers in the Madison, WI area. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
25th percentile	$87,620
Median	$104,110
75th percentile	$130,330

Half of information security analysts in this area earn between $87,620 and $130,330. A band set below $87,620 competes for the bottom quarter of the market.

Place of residence

What Madison residents earn

$92,030

Median earnings of Madison residents working in computer and mathematical occupations, 14,055 people. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. Where people live, not where they work, so it is not the same measurement as the wages beside it.

The 12% figure is not a pay gap. ACS counts the civilian employed population 16 and over, part-time and part-year work included; OEWS counts wage-and-salary jobs only. The two populations differ, so read this number against other cities rather than as a shortfall: the same definitional difference applies to every city equally, which is what makes a city-to-city reading sound.

The role pays well above the local residential norm, which usually means you can hire from inside Madison rather than competing for commuters.

What does the role actually involve?

Core tasks

Develop plans to safeguard computer files against accidental or unauthorized modification, destruction, or disclosure and to meet emergency data processing needs.
Monitor current reports of computer viruses to determine when to update virus protection systems.
Encrypt data transmissions and erect firewalls to conceal confidential information as it is being transmitted and to keep out tainted digital transfers.
Perform risk assessments and execute tests of data processing system to ensure functioning of data processing activities and security measures.
Modify computer security files to incorporate new software, correct errors, or change individual access status.

O*NET 29.1, task statements for SOC 15-1212.

Tools and technologies in demand

Amazon Web Services AWS software, Firewall software, Linux, Microsoft Azure software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint, Operating system software.

O*NET 29.1, flagged in demand or hot for this occupation. Useful as a screen, not as a checklist.

Is the talent actually in Madison?

This is a job zone four: considerable preparation needed occupation. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

That matters here, because 59.2% of Madison adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. That is a deep local pool for a degree-requiring role. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501.

The average Madison commute runs 19.4 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 18.2% already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Dane County, computer systems design and related services employs 6,667 and turns over 6.9% a quarter, with 642 hires against 576 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $11,066 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 5415.

That figure covers every occupation in the industry, not this role alone, so read it as the local churn rate rather than as a number about information security analysts. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a low-churn market, where people do not move often and passive candidates are the whole game.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's median would bill roughly $20,822 to $31,233 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Price this search

Eight questions about the role. Your tier range appears on screen.