Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
Wisconsin employs 287,050 Production professionals across 88 occupations. Explore salary ranges, top paying jobs, and career opportunities within the Production industry.
The best-compensated occupations within Production in Wisconsin, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Production industry in Wisconsin, sorted by median salary (highest to lowest). Click any job title for state-specific salary details.
| # | Job Title | Median Salary | Mean Salary | Employment | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gas Plant Operators | $85,080 | $85,100 | 150 | $40/hr |
| 2 | Power Distributors and Dispatchers | $83,140 | $86,310 | 40 | $39/hr |
| 3 | First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $74,840 | $75,510 | 25,500 | $35/hr |
| 4 | Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | $71,450 | $80,510 | N/A | $34/hr |
| 5 | Tool and Die Makers | $68,120 | $67,520 | 2,450 | $32/hr |
| 6 | Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers | $67,460 | $68,330 | 1,610 | $32/hr |
| 7 | Power Plant Operators | $66,080 | $77,010 | 420 | $31/hr |
| 8 | Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators | $63,550 | $64,070 | 2,230 | $30/hr |
| 9 | Chemical Plant and System Operators | $62,720 | $65,470 | 90 | $30/hr |
| 10 | Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators | $61,170 | $62,330 | 270 | $29/hr |
| 11 | Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic | $60,810 | $60,170 | 150 | $29/hr |
| 12 | Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $60,310 | $56,810 | 80 | $29/hr |
| 13 | Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $60,100 | $59,740 | 1,520 | $28/hr |
| 14 | Machinists | $59,110 | $57,860 | 12,700 | $28/hr |
| 15 | Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $58,770 | $56,460 | 280 | $28/hr |
| 16 | Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | $58,410 | $57,920 | 15,320 | $28/hr |
| 17 | Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $58,050 | $56,430 | 8,510 | $27/hr |
| 18 | Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $57,640 | $56,140 | 1,150 | $27/hr |
| 19 | Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters | $56,310 | $55,090 | 1,810 | $27/hr |
| 20 | Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders | $56,140 | $54,540 | 210 | $26/hr |
| 21 | Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers | $55,830 | $55,730 | 280 | $26/hr |
| 22 | Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $54,580 | $55,720 | 530 | $26/hr |
| 23 | Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders | $54,290 | $54,200 | 310 | $26/hr |
| 24 | Engine and Other Machine Assemblers | $54,240 | $55,330 | 860 | $26/hr |
| 25 | Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators | $52,690 | $55,390 | 8,330 | $25/hr |
| 26 | Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $52,200 | $55,120 | 3,380 | $25/hr |
| 27 | Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic | $52,150 | $58,660 | 230 | $25/hr |
| 28 | Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $51,370 | $54,920 | 290 | $24/hr |
| 29 | Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners | $51,240 | $52,560 | 110 | $24/hr |
| 30 | Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $51,020 | $53,180 | 340 | $24/hr |
| 31 | Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders | $50,870 | $54,510 | 2,730 | $24/hr |
| 32 | Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders | $50,290 | $51,210 | 350 | $24/hr |
| 33 | Etchers and Engravers | $50,290 | $54,030 | 390 | $24/hr |
| 34 | Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $50,230 | $52,240 | 3,190 | $24/hr |
| 35 | Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $49,640 | $54,740 | 60 | $23/hr |
| 36 | Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | $49,610 | $52,580 | 17,670 | $23/hr |
| 37 | Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $49,270 | $50,500 | 7,960 | $23/hr |
| 38 | Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $49,170 | $51,080 | 6,120 | $23/hr |
| 39 | Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $49,100 | $52,230 | 470 | $23/hr |
| 40 | Medical Appliance Technicians | $48,890 | $48,550 | 100 | $23/hr |
| 41 | Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | $48,560 | $48,950 | 540 | $23/hr |
| 42 | Prepress Technicians and Workers | $48,410 | $51,850 | 1,160 | $23/hr |
| 43 | Food Batchmakers | $48,360 | $48,040 | 18,040 | $23/hr |
| 44 | Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers | $48,330 | $48,560 | 230 | $23/hr |
| 45 | Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders | $48,260 | $51,410 | 540 | $23/hr |
| 46 | Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $48,040 | $48,330 | 1,300 | $23/hr |
| 47 | Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic | $48,030 | $50,720 | 550 | $23/hr |
| 48 | Pourers and Casters, Metal | $47,880 | $51,730 | 320 | $23/hr |
| 49 | Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand | $47,790 | $47,090 | 290 | $22/hr |
| 50 | Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $47,700 | $52,330 | 3,570 | $22/hr |
| 51 | Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $47,330 | $48,520 | 3,570 | $22/hr |
| 52 | Printing Press Operators | $47,330 | $50,220 | 8,120 | $22/hr |
| 53 | Dental Laboratory Technicians | $47,170 | $50,380 | 800 | $22/hr |
| 54 | Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders | $47,060 | $50,510 | 100 | $22/hr |
| 55 | Upholsterers | $47,010 | $48,530 | 260 | $22/hr |
| 56 | Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters | $46,790 | $48,880 | 2,070 | $22/hr |
| 57 | Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators | $46,480 | $47,910 | 60 | $22/hr |
| 58 | Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $46,370 | $46,580 | 1,730 | $22/hr |
| 59 | Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | $46,220 | $46,270 | 16,150 | $22/hr |
| 60 | Butchers and Meat Cutters | $45,980 | $44,210 | 3,510 | $22/hr |
| 61 | Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | $45,670 | $46,340 | 46,360 | $21/hr |
| 62 | Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $45,610 | $47,940 | 150 | $21/hr |
| 63 | Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers | $45,470 | $45,970 | 8,700 | $21/hr |
| 64 | Helpers--Production Workers | $45,100 | $45,150 | 2,900 | $21/hr |
| 65 | Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing | $44,450 | $43,660 | 2,610 | $21/hr |
| 66 | Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood | $44,440 | $43,640 | 1,880 | $21/hr |
| 67 | Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $44,350 | $46,280 | 940 | $21/hr |
| 68 | Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $44,230 | $45,310 | 8,590 | $21/hr |
| 69 | Foundry Mold and Coremakers | $44,130 | $45,130 | 1,270 | $21/hr |
| 70 | Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators | $44,060 | $45,830 | 250 | $21/hr |
| 71 | Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers | $44,000 | $41,830 | 460 | $21/hr |
| 72 | Print Binding and Finishing Workers | $43,400 | $44,340 | 3,560 | $20/hr |
| 73 | Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | $43,300 | $41,870 | 2,040 | $20/hr |
| 74 | Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers | $43,300 | $41,590 | 210 | $20/hr |
| 75 | Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers | $43,270 | $45,550 | 570 | $20/hr |
| 76 | Furniture Finishers | $43,180 | $44,000 | 260 | $20/hr |
| 77 | Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians | $42,920 | $42,290 | 200 | $20/hr |
| 78 | Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers | $41,980 | $44,470 | 180 | $20/hr |
| 79 | Sewing Machine Operators | $40,370 | $41,430 | 2,370 | $19/hr |
| 80 | Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | $40,000 | $44,400 | 850 | $19/hr |
| 81 | Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $39,630 | $39,850 | 130 | $19/hr |
| 82 | Cutters and Trimmers, Hand | $39,010 | $37,900 | 60 | $18/hr |
| 83 | Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders | $37,970 | $39,590 | 110 | $18/hr |
| 84 | Slaughterers and Meat Packers | $37,510 | $40,830 | 2,620 | $18/hr |
| 85 | Bakers | $37,310 | $38,740 | 4,930 | $17/hr |
| 86 | Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers | $35,700 | $35,120 | 3,310 | $17/hr |
| 87 | Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials | $35,500 | $36,270 | 350 | $17/hr |
| 88 | Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders | $30,930 | $35,340 | 90 | $14/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across Wisconsin:
Wisconsin has 88 Production occupations with 287,050 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Production occupation in Wisconsin is Gas Plant Operators with a median salary of $85,080/year.
The average median salary across 88 Production occupations in Wisconsin is $50,365/year.
Salaries in Production in Wisconsin range from $23,270 (entry-level) to $118,270 (senior) across all occupations.
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes organize jobs into groups. Production occupations use SOC prefix 51. Data comes from BLS OEWS.
Data: BLS OEWS 2025. Salary figures represent May 2025 compensation for occupations classified under SOC code 51* in Wisconsin. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources