SOC 51-6031 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Sewing Machine Operators — Appleton
Appleton, WI · 8 metro areas compared
In Appleton, WI the median wage for Sewing Machine Operators reaches $48,460 a year.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -10.8%
- Openings per year
- 13,000
- Typical entry-level education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
11.2% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Appleton, 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
In Appleton, WI the median wage for Sewing Machine Operators reaches $48,460 a year. That is 32.2% more than the national median of $36,670. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $38,230 and $65,110. The lowest tenth earn under $36,400, while the highest tenth earn more than $65,110.
The area has 110 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 1.32 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Janesville leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $40,130. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 229th of 347 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $36,400 | −0.7% |
| 25th | $38,230 | +4.3% |
| Median (50th) | $48,460 | +32.2% |
| 75th | $65,110 | +77.6% |
| 90th | $65,110 | +77.6% |
| Mean | $51,830 | +41.3% |
Other metro areas in Wisconsin
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Janesville | $40,130 | 80 | |
| 2 | Madison | $40,040 | — | |
| 3 | Fond du Lac | $39,810 | 60 | |
| 4 | Wausau | $39,110 | 30 | |
| 5 | Milwaukee | $38,600 | 560 | |
| 6 | Racine | $37,550 | 50 | |
| 7 | Green Bay | $36,820 | 110 | |
| 8 | La Crosse | $36,820 | 60 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Appleton run 7.6% below the national average, so the median of $48,460 goes as far as $52,446 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 43.0% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$48,460as reported by BLSLocal price level
92.4US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$52,446US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $48,460 a year, 32.2% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $36,400 to $65,110 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 110 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Janesville, at $40,130.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Sewing Machine Operators in Appleton, WI?
The median annual wage is $48,460, or $23.30 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 $36,670, so pay in Appleton, WI is 32.2% 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 Appleton, WI earns more than $65,110 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $36,400 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 Janesville, at $40,130 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 110 jobs in this occupation in Appleton, 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.
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