SalaryExplorer

SOC 51-9041 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders — Oshkosh

Oshkosh-Neenah, WI · 4 metro areas compared

$72,500 /year
$34.86per hour
100jobs in area
+58.4%vs US median

At $72,500 a year, the median wage for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in Oshkosh, WI sits 58.4% above the national figure of $45,760.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $45,76010TH$36,440MEDIAN$72,500

How pay has moved

$81,055$29,72520202021202220242025$72,500
$38,280 in 2020 to $72,500 in 2025, +89.4% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow about as fast as average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+2.0%
Openings per year
5,200
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Oshkosh-Neenah, WI.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

At $72,500 a year, the median wage for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in Oshkosh, WI sits 58.4% above the national figure of $45,760. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $39,460 and $72,500. The lowest tenth earn under $36,440, while the highest tenth earn more than $77,150.

The area has 100 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 1.1 of every thousand jobs. Within the state, Appleton records the highest median at $54,630. Of the 297 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 97th.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Oshkosh-Neenah, WI · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$36,440−20.4%
25th$39,460−13.8%
Median (50th)$72,500+58.4%
75th$72,500+58.4%
90th$77,150+68.6%
Mean$57,510+25.7%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Wisconsin

Median annual wage for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Appleton$54,63030
2Madison$46,900260
3Racine$42,320160
4Milwaukee$40,000240

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Oshkosh run 7.1% below the national average, so the median of $72,500 goes as far as $78,041 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 70.5% above the national median in real terms.

Published median

$72,500as reported by BLS

Local price level

92.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$78,041US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $72,500 a year, 58.4% above the national median.
  • Published pay spans $36,440 to $77,150 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 100 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Appleton, at $54,630.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in Oshkosh, WI?

The median annual wage is $72,500, or $34.86 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $45,760, so pay in Oshkosh, WI is 58.4% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Oshkosh, WI earns more than $77,150 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $36,440 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Appleton, at $54,630 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 100 jobs in this occupation in Oshkosh, WI. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.