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News Release Information

25-949-CHI
Thursday, June 12, 2025

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (312) 353-1138

County Employment and Wages in Wisconsin — Fourth Quarter 2024

Employment rose in 5 of the 7 largest counties in Wisconsin from December 2023 to December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Julie Wilson noted that Waukesha County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 1.2 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)


Among the seven largest counties in Wisconsin, employment was highest in Milwaukee (470,300) in December 2024. Together, the seven largest counties accounted for 51.6 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 369 largest counties comprise 73.3 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2023.)

Large county average weekly wages in the fourth quarter 2024

All seven large Wisconsin counties reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Racine had the largest gain (+4.8 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Wisconsin’s other six large counties ranged from 4.5 percent to 2.9 percent.


Weekly wages in all large counties in Wisconsin were below the national average of $1,507. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,487 in Dane to $1,257 in Outagamie.

Smaller county average weekly wages in the fourth quarter of 2024

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 65 small counties in Wisconsin, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2023. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all 65 smaller counties were below the national average. Sheboygan reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,246). Florence reported the lowest average weekly wage ($716) in the state.

Among all 72 Wisconsin counties, 24 reported average weekly wages of less than $975, 17 registered wages from $975 to $1,049, 13 had wages from $1,050 to $1,124, and 18 had average weekly wages of $1,125 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)

Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in Wisconsin, fourth quarter 2024

(U.S. average = $1,507)

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.

Nationwide coverage of the largest counties is published in the County Employment and Wages news release. Additional information about quarterly employment and wages data is available in the news release Technical Note and from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

The County Employment and Wages release for the first quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.

QCEW Moves to One Data Release Beginning with Fourth Quarter 2024 Publication

The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) is streamlining its release process. Beginning with the fourth quarter 2024 national release on June 4, QCEW will publish the national County Employment and Wages news release on the same date as the QCEW full data update. Revised news release dates are available online.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the seven largest counties in Wisconsin, fourth quarter 2024
Area Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
December 2024
(thousands)
Percent change,
December
2023–24 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
Fourth quarter
2024 ($)
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
fourth quarter
2023–24 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

12,265.4 156,202.9 0.8 -- 1,507 -- 5.0 --

Wisconsin

212.2 2,950.8 0.4 -- 1,278 33 3.6 44

Brown

7.9 159.7 0.7 159 1,304 198 3.2 276

Dane

19.1 361.5 0.9 120 1,487 98 3.3 269

Milwaukee

30.7 470.3 -0.3 301 1,386 154 4.4 168

Outagamie

6.3 108.7 0.2 238 1,257 237 3.4 256

Racine

5.5 76.9 -0.1 280 1,313 194 4.8 130

Waukesha

15.3 250.3 1.2 80 1,427 126 4.5 161

Winnebago

4.5 94.1 0.1 251 1,269 225 2.9 305

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications.
(3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in Wisconsin, fourth quarter 2024
Area Establishments Employment December 2024 Average weekly wage ($) (1)

United States (2)

12,265,395 156,202,874 1,507

Wisconsin

212,179 2,950,823 1,278

Adams

459 4,158 944

Ashland

642 7,847 1,006

Barron

1,610 21,553 983

Bayfield

602 4,046 876

Brown

7,909 159,675 1,304

Buffalo

415 3,522 916

Burnett

478 5,088 880

Calumet

1,036 16,113 1,025

Chippewa

2,039 26,453 1,090

Clark

989 11,416 1,051

Columbia

1,855 21,931 1,069

Crawford

516 6,719 895

Dane

19,052 361,515 1,487

Dodge

2,075 36,512 1,221

Door

1,478 13,328 949

Douglas

1,256 15,961 1,029

Dunn

1,191 18,205 1,062

Eau Claire

3,373 58,764 1,151

Florence

142 969 716

Fond du Lac

2,619 44,470 1,169

Forest

321 3,247 955

Grant

1,562 17,309 954

Green

1,186 15,958 1,020

Green Lake

547 5,719 1,015

Iowa

741 10,970 1,073

Iron

232 1,641 922

Jackson

503 7,446 1,019

Jefferson

2,419 33,410 1,089

Juneau

758 9,096 1,061

Kenosha

4,563 76,126 1,241

Kewaunee

585 6,707 1,021

La Crosse

3,678 70,352 1,212

Lafayette

524 5,129 1,008

Langlade

658 7,292 884

Lincoln

824 9,982 1,034

Manitowoc

2,052 33,338 1,063

Marathon

4,100 70,787 1,180

Marinette

1,293 17,463 1,034

Marquette

415 3,895 930

Menominee

115 2,053 838

Milwaukee

30,733 470,343 1,386

Monroe

1,388 21,401 1,088

Oconto

966 9,118 939

Oneida

1,539 16,392 1,098

Outagamie

6,281 108,748 1,257

Ozaukee

3,322 41,475 1,204

Pepin

277 2,414 1,013

Pierce

1,087 10,424 1,007

Polk

1,355 15,956 943

Portage

2,002 33,347 1,101

Price

444 4,824 999

Racine

5,511 76,896 1,313

Richland

552 6,093 930

Rock

4,094 69,881 1,167

Rusk

400 4,423 924

St. Croix

2,981 36,861 1,095

Sauk

2,302 36,132 991

Sawyer

729 7,095 998

Shawano

1,097 12,262 901

Sheboygan

3,161 60,848 1,246

Taylor

548 7,752 961

Trempealeau

876 12,428 1,032

Vernon

856 8,664 947

Vilas

1,049 7,998 924

Walworth

3,549 45,088 1,053

Washburn

639 5,485 885

Washington

4,079 58,460 1,176

Waukesha

15,251 250,295 1,427

Waupaca

1,442 18,324 965

Waushara

592 5,830 878

Winnebago

4,522 94,075 1,269

Wood

2,202 35,794 1,160

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, fourth quarter 2024
State Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
December 2024
(thousands)
Percent change,
December
2023–24
Fourth quarter
2024 ($)
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
fourth quarter
2023–24
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

12,265.4 156,202.9 0.8 1,507 -- 5.0 --

Alabama

162.3 2,122.2 0.9 1,255 36 4.1 32

Alaska

25.3 317.4 1.7 1,430 16 4.2 30

Arizona

225.5 3,272.3 1.2 1,406 19 6.4 6

Arkansas

106.1 1,312.6 1.1 1,153 50 5.9 10

California

1,903.9 18,230.8 0.5 1,872 5 6.5 5

Colorado

236.6 2,911.3 -0.3 1,594 8 5.1 16

Connecticut

150.7 1,700.7 0.5 1,716 6 5.2 15

Delaware

45.2 480.6 1.5 1,437 15 4.5 24

District of Columbia

52.4 757.2 -0.5 2,495 1 4.7 21

Florida

914.8 9,978.9 0.9 1,405 20 5.7 13

Georgia

396.6 4,916.6 0.8 1,391 21 4.7 21

Hawaii

61.4 651.3 1.1 1,345 27 4.3 26

Idaho

103.9 859.1 0.5 1,232 39 8.3 3

Illinois

411.2 6,089.1 0.5 1,538 12 4.1 32

Indiana

194.6 3,201.9 0.4 1,222 44 4.4 25

Iowa

112.5 1,559.3 -0.6 1,237 38 3.2 50

Kansas

103.5 1,445.6 0.9 1,218 45 4.3 26

Kentucky

159.0 2,008.4 0.2 1,189 46 3.8 39

Louisiana

156.8 1,936.3 1.1 1,228 40 2.8 51

Maine

66.2 643.9 0.9 1,278 33 5.9 10

Maryland

197.0 2,779.9 1.6 1,570 10 4.2 30

Massachusetts

288.5 3,646.1 -0.4 1,890 3 4.7 21

Michigan

303.4 4,406.8 -0.1 1,370 23 4.1 32

Minnesota

215.1 2,945.4 1.1 1,452 14 3.7 42

Mississippi

90.9 1,174.3 0.2 1,023 51 4.1 32

Missouri

251.5 2,922.2 0.5 1,268 35 3.8 39

Montana

65.8 512.8 0.5 1,254 37 6.4 6

Nebraska

78.0 1,024.8 0.5 1,227 41 3.5 45

Nevada

108.1 1,561.5 0.4 1,350 25 6.1 9

New Hampshire

68.7 692.4 0.4 1,577 9 3.3 49

New Jersey

339.1 4,332.2 0.9 1,629 7 3.4 47

New Mexico

68.9 873.8 0.3 1,223 42 5.0 17

New York

711.5 9,777.3 1.5 1,881 4 5.4 14

North Carolina

384.0 4,941.9 0.5 1,358 24 5.8 12

North Dakota

36.9 431.1 0.9 1,315 30 3.8 39

Ohio

346.3 5,551.7 0.6 1,305 32 4.8 20

Oklahoma

129.7 1,713.2 0.8 1,168 48 4.1 32

Oregon

190.9 1,989.6 0.0 1,424 17 6.6 4

Pennsylvania

395.1 6,076.5 0.8 1,414 18 4.0 37

Rhode Island

48.9 500.8 1.6 1,348 26 3.5 45

South Carolina

195.3 2,310.1 1.4 1,223 42 6.2 8

South Dakota

40.6 459.7 0.9 1,181 47 3.9 38

Tennessee

232.2 3,320.3 0.9 1,372 22 5.0 17

Texas

846.0 14,129.7 1.5 1,488 13 4.3 26

Utah

142.6 1,735.8 1.3 1,333 29 3.7 42

Vermont

33.7 311.2 0.0 1,311 31 4.9 19

Virginia

320.9 4,142.6 1.2 1,546 11 4.3 26

Washington

241.5 3,612.0 0.8 1,897 2 8.7 2

West Virginia

62.7 701.4 0.2 1,159 49 3.4 47

Wisconsin

212.2 2,950.8 0.4 1,278 33 3.6 44

Wyoming

31.1 279.4 0.5 1,340 28 12.4 1

Puerto Rico

51.6 975.4 -0.2 718 (3) 4.5 (3)

Virgin Islands

3.0 33.1 -8.6 1,046 (3) 1.8 (3)

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(3) Data not included in the national ranking.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, June 12, 2025