Healthcare & Medical Jobs in Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee leans on healthcare more than the nation as a whole, with the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center campus at the Wauwatosa line and Aurora St. Luke's on the south side anchoring the hiring. The guides below cover every healthcare role in Milwaukee, who is hiring and what it pays.
Why Healthcare & Medical Work Is Different in Milwaukee
Healthcare is the heaviest concentration of skilled work in the Milwaukee-Waukesha metro. Federal OEWS data for May 2025 puts healthcare practitioner and technical jobs at 7.2% of metro employment against 6.3% nationally, and those clinicians average $56.62 an hour, above the $52.26 national mean. Healthcare support jobs, the CNAs, medical assistants and aides, make up 6.0% of local employment against 5.1% nationally, at pay close to the national rate. In short, Milwaukee has more healthcare jobs per worker than the country as a whole, and it pays its licensed clinicians a premium.
Most of that work runs through a handful of systems. The Milwaukee Regional Medical Center campus by the Zoo Interchange holds Froedtert Hospital, Children's Wisconsin and the Medical College of Wisconsin. Advocate Health's Aurora brand runs Aurora St. Luke's on W Oklahoma Ave and clinics from W Good Hope Rd to Mayfair Road. Ascension Wisconsin operates Columbia St. Mary's on the East Side, St. Francis on the south side and the St. Joseph Campus on the northwest side, and has been consolidating services among them since late 2024. The Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center on W National Ave adds federal jobs, and nursing homes, rehab centers and behavioral health hospitals from the south side to West Allis fill the round-the-clock shifts.
Top Healthcare & Medical Employers in Milwaukee
These Milwaukee employers have healthcare openings on their own careers sites:
- Aurora Health Care - Advocate Health's Wisconsin brand, with Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center on the south side, hires RNs, LPNs, CNAs and medical assistants.
- Froedtert Hospital - the academic medical center on the MRMC campus hires staff nurses, LPNs, CNAs and clinic medical assistants.
- Ascension Wisconsin - runs Columbia St. Mary's, St. Francis and the St. Joseph Campus in the city and hires RNs, including at St. Francis.
- Children's Wisconsin - the pediatric hospital on the MRMC campus hires nurses and certified medical assistants for its hospital and regional clinics.
- Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center - the Milwaukee VA on W National Ave hires RNs, LPNs and nursing assistants through USAJOBS.
- Autumn Lake Healthcare at Greenfield - the nursing and rehab center on S 27th St hires LPNs on every shift.
- Granite Hills Hospital - the 120-bed behavioral health hospital in West Allis hires LPNs for its overnight shifts.
Healthcare & Medical Career Paths in Milwaukee
- Nursing ladder - Certified Nursing Assistant, Licensed Practical Nurse, Registered Nurse. Most local nurses climb these in order, since MATC requires nurse aide training before its nursing programs.
- Clinic and outpatient care - Medical Assistant. The fastest route into the clinics the big systems run across the metro.
- Industry overview - the Healthcare guide, for an overview of the whole sector and the employers behind it.
How to Start a Healthcare & Medical Career in Milwaukee
- Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry - required for CNAs. Finish a state-approved training program of at least 75 hours and pass the Department of Health Services competency exam.
- Wisconsin Board of Nursing license - required for LPNs and RNs. Issued through the Department of Safety and Professional Services after a board-approved program and the NCLEX. Wisconsin is in the Nurse Licensure Compact.
- Medical assistant certification - not required by Wisconsin law, but preferred or required by most employers: CMA, RMA or CCMA.
- Milwaukee Area Technical College - Nursing Assistant, Practical Nursing, Registered Nursing and Medical Assistant programs, centered on the Downtown Milwaukee Campus.
- UW-Milwaukee and Marquette University - bachelor's nursing programs on the East Side and near downtown, plus Marquette's Direct Entry MSN for career changers.
The nurse aide registry listing and the nursing licenses are legal requirements; medical assistant certification and BLS cards are employer requirements that most Milwaukee job postings list anyway.
Healthcare & Medical Salaries in Milwaukee
- Entry - about $19 to $23 an hour for new CNAs and medical assistants.
- Mid - about $25 to $35 an hour for LPNs and experienced, certified medical assistants.
- Senior - about $38 to $57 an hour for hospital RNs, and higher in specialty and federal roles.
These are estimates from pay ranges Milwaukee employers posted on their own sites in 2026, such as $38.20 to $57.30 an hour for an Aurora St. Luke's procedural RN and $25.30 to $37.95 for an Aurora clinic LPN. The big systems pay toward the top of each band and add benefits and tuition help, long-term care and behavioral health pay more for evening and night shifts, and VA jobs follow the federal GS scale.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the biggest healthcare employers in Milwaukee?
Advocate Health's Aurora brand, Froedtert, Ascension Wisconsin and Children's Wisconsin run most of the hospitals and clinics, and the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center is the main federal employer. Nursing homes, rehab centers and behavioral health hospitals hire for round-the-clock shifts.
What is the fastest way into healthcare in Milwaukee?
Nurse aide training is the quickest. Wisconsin's minimum is 75 hours, and Aurora runs its own 88-hour train-to-work CNA class near St. Luke's, so you can be working in weeks rather than years.
Do I need a license to work in healthcare in Wisconsin?
It depends on the role. RNs and LPNs need a Wisconsin Board of Nursing license, and CNAs must be on the Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry. Medical assistants have no state license, though most employers want national certification.
Where are the hospitals in Milwaukee?
Froedtert Hospital and Children's Wisconsin share the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center campus at the Wauwatosa line. Aurora St. Luke's and Ascension St. Francis are on the south side, Ascension Columbia St. Mary's is on the East Side, and the VA is on W National Ave.
Does Milwaukee pay healthcare workers well?
Licensed clinicians in the Milwaukee-Waukesha metro average more than the national mean, according to federal OEWS data. Support roles such as CNAs and medical assistants pay close to the national average.
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