High paying production jobs in Appleton, WI

Every production occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Appleton, WI. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single production job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Cost of living: prices in Appleton, WI run 7.6% below the national average (2024), so a Appleton, WI salary is worth about 1.08× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find production jobs in Appleton, WI

OccupationMedian, Appleton, WI · Employed

1First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$77,240
High school diploma or equivalent
$55,160 – $102,1901,240
2Tool and Die Makers$73,010
Postsecondary nondegree award
$46,880 – $90,75080
3Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$66,630
High school diploma or equivalent
$45,710 – $69,18040
4Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$64,820
High school diploma or equivalent
$60,970 – $78,69090
5Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers$62,850
Postsecondary nondegree award
$59,510 – $81,38060
6Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$61,960
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,770 – $64,990250
7Machinists$60,350
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,730 – $76,850660
8Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$59,550
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,080 – $78,100710
9Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$58,920
High school diploma or equivalent
$46,460 – $82,680970
10Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders$55,400
No formal educational credential
$50,750 – $60,74070
11Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$54,870
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,710 – $76,190220
12Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$54,690
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,810 – $70,270250
13Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$53,560
High school diploma or equivalent
$45,410 – $63,530610
14Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$53,390
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,540 – $65,800440
15Prepress Technicians and Workers$53,150
Postsecondary nondegree award
$34,460 – $66,82090
16Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$52,800
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,950 – $83,74050
17Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$49,990
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,510 – $57,980110
18Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$49,930
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,400 – $69,970980
19Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$49,560
High school diploma or equivalent
$46,260 – $62,99070
20Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$49,500
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,150 – $67,890100
21Food Batchmakers$49,390
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,480 – $59,0601,420
22Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$48,480
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,440 – $59,25080
23Sewing Machine Operators$48,460
No formal educational credential
$36,400 – $65,110110
24Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders$47,920
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,590 – $61,60060
25Butchers and Meat Cutters$47,040
No formal educational credential
$33,580 – $57,32090
26Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$46,120
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,020 – $58,56060
27Printing Press Operators$46,090
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,370 – $69,630530
28Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$45,670
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,030 – $61,7901,650
29Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$45,660
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,690 – $57,560960
30Production Workers, All Other$44,200
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,350 – $58,550380
31Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$43,710
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,170 – $60,260350
32Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$43,610
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,470 – $51,850110
33Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other$42,450
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,320 – $52,52070
34Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$42,340
High school diploma or equivalent
$28,920 – $59,74050
35Helpers--Production Workers$41,740
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,360 – $56,060260
36Print Binding and Finishing Workers$38,970
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,200 – $55,950250
37Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood$37,920
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,400 – $59,58080
38Bakers$36,160
No formal educational credential
$30,170 – $48,800270
39Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$35,430
No formal educational credential
$29,300 – $43,260160

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianAppleton, WI	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$77,240	$55,160 – $102,190	1,240
2	Tool and Die MakersPostsecondary nondegree award	$73,010	$46,880 – $90,750	80
3	Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$66,630	$45,710 – $69,180	40
4	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$64,820	$60,970 – $78,690	90
5	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool ProgrammersPostsecondary nondegree award	$62,850	$59,510 – $81,380	60
6	Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$61,960	$44,770 – $64,990	250
7	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$60,350	$39,730 – $76,850	660
8	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,550	$44,080 – $78,100	710
9	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,920	$46,460 – $82,680	970
10	Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and TendersNo formal educational credential	$55,400	$50,750 – $60,740	70
11	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$54,870	$42,710 – $76,190	220
12	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$54,690	$38,810 – $70,270	250
13	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$53,560	$45,410 – $63,530	610
14	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$53,390	$40,540 – $65,800	440
15	Prepress Technicians and WorkersPostsecondary nondegree award	$53,150	$34,460 – $66,820	90
16	Structural Metal Fabricators and FittersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,800	$42,950 – $83,740	50
17	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,990	$36,510 – $57,980	110
18	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,930	$38,400 – $69,970	980
19	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,560	$46,260 – $62,990	70
20	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,500	$39,150 – $67,890	100
21	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,390	$35,480 – $59,060	1,420
22	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,480	$37,440 – $59,250	80
23	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$48,460	$36,400 – $65,110	110
24	Food Cooking Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,920	$40,590 – $61,600	60
25	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$47,040	$33,580 – $57,320	90
26	Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,120	$36,020 – $58,560	60
27	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,090	$38,370 – $69,630	530
28	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,670	$36,030 – $61,790	1,650
29	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,660	$36,690 – $57,560	960
30	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,200	$36,350 – $58,550	380
31	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,710	$37,170 – $60,260	350
32	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,610	$33,470 – $51,850	110
33	Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,450	$40,320 – $52,520	70
34	Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,340	$28,920 – $59,740	50
35	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,740	$37,360 – $56,060	260
36	Print Binding and Finishing WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,970	$36,200 – $55,950	250
37	Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, WoodHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,920	$32,400 – $59,580	80
38	BakersNo formal educational credential	$36,160	$30,170 – $48,800	270
39	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$35,430	$29,300 – $43,260	160

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Appleton, WI. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

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The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Appleton, WI to rank honestly.

High paying production jobs in Appleton, WI

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