Machinist salary in Wisconsin
Median $28.42 an hour for 12,700 machinists, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Machinist pay in Wisconsin: the full range
Wisconsin ranks 26th of 51 states for median machinist pay, and 15th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $30.20). 12,700 machinists work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.9× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $19.52 – $23.29 | $40,600 – $48,430 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $23.29 – $30.46 | $48,430 – $63,350 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $30.46 – $36.67 | $63,350 – $76,280 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Machinist pay by metro in Wisconsin
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duluth | $22.86 | $33.39 | $37.60 | $37.60 | 330 | 17% above |
| La Crosse | $17.83 | $30.27 | $32.97 | $38.67 | 170 | 7% above |
| Minneapolis | $22.84 | $29.84 | $28.47 | $38.67 | 9,420 | 5% above |
| Madison | $19.74 | $29.24 | $30.05 | $41.03 | 700 | 3% above |
| Eau Claire | $21.47 | $29.12 | $31.38 | $35.33 | 220 | 2% above |
| Appleton | $19.10 | $29.02 | $31.41 | $36.95 | 660 | 2% above |
| Milwaukee | $21.24 | $29.00 | $29.93 | $37.77 | 4,230 | 2% above |
| Green Bay | $21.46 | $28.98 | $31.13 | $35.98 | 660 | 2% above |
| Oshkosh | $21.58 | $28.88 | $31.09 | $35.43 | 340 | 2% above |
| Kenosha | $19.55 | $28.75 | $28.44 | $36.42 | 230 | 1% above |
| Racine | $19.82 | $27.75 | $28.91 | $35.21 | 450 | 2% below |
| Fond du Lac | $24.55 | $27.74 | $30.28 | $34.83 | 550 | 2% below |
| Sheboygan | $21.95 | $26.51 | $28.20 | $34.74 | 560 | 7% below |
| Wausau | $19.52 | $25.81 | $27.84 | $34.38 | 360 | 9% below |
| Janesville | $17.54 | $22.51 | $24.02 | $33.71 | 340 | 21% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Machinist wages in Wisconsin over time
Table
| Year | Wisconsin $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $14.76 | $28.52 | $14.30 | 16,640 |
| 2000 | $15.65 | $29.26 | $14.78 | 15,780 |
| 2001 | $16.40 | $29.81 | $15.43 | 14,240 |
| 2002 | $16.86 | $30.17 | $15.66 | 13,440 |
| 2003 | $16.62 | $29.08 | $15.91 | 13,740 |
| 2004 | $17.09 | $29.13 | $16.33 | 13,860 |
| 2005 | $17.30 | $28.52 | $16.51 | 14,380 |
| 2006 | $17.52 | $27.98 | $16.71 | 13,860 |
| 2007 | $17.38 | $26.99 | $16.94 | 16,580 |
| 2008 | $17.99 | $26.90 | $17.41 | 17,560 |
| 2009 | $18.71 | $28.08 | $18.10 | 15,920 |
| 2010 | $19.08 | $28.17 | $18.52 | 13,100 |
| 2011 | $19.15 | $27.41 | $18.86 | 15,020 |
| 2012 | $18.58 | $26.05 | $18.99 | 16,410 |
| 2013 | $19.19 | $26.52 | $19.03 | 16,130 |
| 2014 | $19.08 | $25.95 | $19.22 | 16,130 |
| 2015 | $19.83 | $26.94 | $19.49 | 15,110 |
| 2016 | $20.04 | $26.88 | $20.05 | 15,210 |
| 2017 | $20.17 | $26.49 | $20.48 | 13,750 |
| 2018 | $20.23 | $25.94 | $20.97 | 12,820 |
| 2019 | $19.99 | $25.17 | $21.36 | 11,670 |
| 2020 | $19.26 | $23.96 | $22.04 | 9,980 |
| 2021 | $19.26 | $22.88 | $22.95 | 9,540 |
| 2022 | $21.60 | $23.76 | $23.32 | 8,210 |
| 2023 | $22.69 | $23.97 | $24.44 | 10,590 |
| 2024 | $25.02 | $25.68 | $27.00 | 12,530 |
| 2025 | $28.42 | $28.42 | $28.24 | 12,700 |
In today's dollars, the median machinist wage in Wisconsin changed by +5.5% over the last ten years of data and by +12.9% since 2019.
Are there more machinist jobs in Wisconsin?
Since 1999, the number of machinists counted in Wisconsin has changed by -23.7%, against -31.6% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by +8.8%.
Table
| Year | Wisconsin jobs | Wisconsin index | US index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 16,640 | 100 | 100 |
| 2000 | 15,780 | 95 | 100 |
| 2001 | 14,240 | 86 | 93 |
| 2002 | 13,440 | 81 | 88 |
| 2003 | 13,740 | 83 | 88 |
| 2004 | 13,860 | 83 | 86 |
| 2005 | 14,380 | 86 | 88 |
| 2006 | 13,860 | 83 | 92 |
| 2007 | 16,580 | 100 | 98 |
| 2008 | 17,560 | 106 | 100 |
| 2009 | 15,920 | 96 | 91 |
| 2010 | 13,100 | 79 | 84 |
| 2011 | 15,020 | 90 | 88 |
| 2012 | 16,410 | 99 | 92 |
| 2013 | 16,130 | 97 | 93 |
| 2014 | 16,130 | 97 | 94 |
| 2015 | 15,110 | 91 | 95 |
| 2016 | 15,210 | 91 | 93 |
| 2017 | 13,750 | 83 | 90 |
| 2018 | 12,820 | 77 | 92 |
| 2019 | 11,670 | 70 | 91 |
| 2020 | 9,980 | 60 | 86 |
| 2021 | 9,540 | 57 | 79 |
| 2022 | 8,210 | 49 | 76 |
| 2023 | 10,590 | 64 | 69 |
| 2024 | 12,530 | 75 | 71 |
| 2025 | 12,700 | 76 | 68 |
Job counts are BLS OEWS survey estimates built from three years of samples, so moves of a few percent from one year to the next are within the survey's margin. Self-employed tradespeople are not counted. Areas with fewer than 3,000 jobs or a large sampling error are shown as a single figure rather than a trend.
Outlook for machinists in Wisconsin
Wisconsin's labor market agency projects the number of machinists in the state to change by +4.4% between 2024 and 2034, from 12,410 to 12,950, with about 1,300 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +1.0% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed and use a different base year, so they do not match the 12,700 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Wisconsin labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Is construction work growing in Wisconsin?
Keep comparing
Machinist pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Wisconsin
More on Wisconsin
Questions this page answers
How much do machinists make in Wisconsin?
The median machinist in Wisconsin earned $28.42 an hour ($59,110 a year) in May 2025, 1% above the national median of $28.24. The middle half earn $23.29–$30.46; the top 10% earn more than $36.67.
Where does Wisconsin rank for machinist pay?
Wisconsin ranks 26th of 51 states for machinist pay, with a median of $28.42 an hour, and 15th after adjusting for Wisconsin's cost of living (BEA price parity 94.1, US = 100).
What is the union machinist rate in Wisconsin?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a machinist classification for most Wisconsin counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many machinists work in Wisconsin?
BLS counted 12,700 machinists in Wisconsin in May 2025, 4.3 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 2.34; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is machinist work growing in Wisconsin?
The BLS employer survey count of machinists in Wisconsin went from 15,110 in 2015 to 12,700 in 2025, -15.9%, and +8.8% since 2019. Wisconsin's labor market agency projects +4.4% growth for machinists between 2024 and 2034, from 12,410 to 12,950 jobs.
How many machinist openings a year are there in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin projects about 1,300 openings a year for machinists over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 26,100 a year.
Sources and notes
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Wisconsin and metro areas, SOC 51-4041. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
- BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
- SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
- BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
- State projection: Wisconsin labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.