What a safety / EHS manager earns in Wisconsin — an estimated median of about $88,000 per year — plus who regulates workplace safety in the state and how to push your pay higher.
Safety and EHS managers in Wisconsin earn an estimated median of about $88,000 per year, with most positions falling between $68,640 and $118,800. The estimate is anchored on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES, May 2024 release) national median for occupational health & safety specialists — $83,910 (SOC 19-5011) — scaled to Wisconsin’s wage level. Actual pay depends on industry, employer size, certifications and years of experience. Wisconsin’s manufacturing legacy — heavy machinery, paper and food/dairy processing — keeps plant-level safety roles a steady presence, and the state’s cost of living generally sits close to or modestly below the national median outside the Madison and Milwaukee metros.
Wisconsin has not established its own OSHA-approved State Plan, so workplace safety is enforced directly by federal OSHA rather than a state agency.
EHS and safety-manager roles in Wisconsin concentrate around Milwaukee, Madison, and Green Bay: Milwaukee for its industrial-machinery and motorcycle-manufacturing base (including Harley-Davidson), Green Bay for a historically large paper and pulp industry, and the statewide dairy and food-processing sector that gives the state its “America’s Dairyland” identity.
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What does a safety manager earn in Wisconsin?
Safety and EHS managers in Wisconsin earn an estimated median of about $88,000 per year, with a typical range of $68,640 to $118,800 depending on industry, employer size, certifications and experience. The estimate is anchored on BLS OES national data scaled to Wisconsin’s wage level.
Does Wisconsin have its own OSHA program?
No. Wisconsin has not set up its own OSHA-approved State Plan, so workplace safety is enforced directly by federal OSHA.
What industries drive safety-manager hiring in Wisconsin?
Milwaukee’s industrial-machinery and motorcycle-manufacturing base (including Harley-Davidson), a historically large paper and pulp industry centered around Green Bay, and a substantial dairy and food-processing sector all support demand for plant-level safety managers.
How can I increase my safety-manager salary in Wisconsin?
Target heavy-manufacturing, paper-mill or food/dairy-processing employers, earn a BCSP credential such as the CSP, and move into multi-site or director-level scope. Wisconsin’s cost of living generally sits close to or modestly below the national median outside Madison and Milwaukee. Use the free salary estimator to model your own number.
Salary figures are estimates derived from BLS national OES data scaled to state wage levels — not a guarantee or an offer. Verify current local data with BLS and employers. ← All states · Home