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News Release Information

24-1288-CHI
Monday, July 22, 2024

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

Occupational Employment and Wages in Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis — May 2023

Workers in the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area had an average (mean) hourly wage of $30.11 in May 2023, compared to the nationwide average of $31.48, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that higher paying major occupational groups included management ($66.65), legal ($60.07), and healthcare practitioners and technical ($52.55). Lower paying occupations included food preparation and serving related ($15.52), healthcare support ($17.34), and building and grounds cleaning and maintenance ($17.94). (See table A.)

Occupational groups with the highest employment in the Milwaukee area included office and administrative support (11.9 percent), production (9.4 percent), and transportation and material moving (8.9 percent). Major occupational groups on the lower end of local employment included life, physical, and social science (0.6 percent); legal (0.8 percent); and arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media (1.2 percent). (See table A.)

Table A. Occupational employment and wages by major occupational group, United States and the Milwaukee metropolitan area, May 2023
Major occupational group Percent of total employment Mean hourly wage ($)
United States Milwaukee United States Milwaukee

Total, all occupations

100.0 100.0 31.48 30.11

Management

6.9 4.8 66.23 66.65

Business and financial operations

6.6 7.1 43.55 40.46

Computer and mathematical

3.4 3.1 54.39 46.66

Architecture and engineering

1.7 2.0 47.64 41.50

Life, physical, and social science

0.9 0.6 42.24 39.12

Community and social service

1.6 1.4 28.36 28.18

Legal

0.8 0.8 64.34 60.07

Educational instruction and library

5.8 5.3 31.92 30.12

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media

1.4 1.2 36.31 27.72

Healthcare practitioners and technical

6.1 7.3 49.07 52.55

Healthcare support

4.7 5.8 18.37 17.34

Protective service

2.3 1.8 27.74 28.12

Food preparation and serving related

8.7 8.1 16.58 15.52

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance

2.9 2.8 18.43 17.94

Personal care and service

2.0 1.8 18.48 18.53

Sales and related

8.8 8.8 25.62 26.31

Office and administrative support

12.2 11.9 23.05 22.83

Farming, fishing, and forestry

0.3 (1) 19.22 17.90

Construction and extraction

4.1 3.4 29.57 32.77

Installation, maintenance, and repair

3.9 3.6 28.13 28.82

Production

5.8 9.4 22.90 23.51

Transportation and material moving

9.1 8.9 22.45 21.23

Footnotes:
(1) Indicates a value of less than 0.05 percent.

One occupational group—production—was chosen to illustrate the diversity of data available for any of the 22 major occupational categories. Milwaukee had 76,240 jobs in production, accounting for 9.4 percent of local area employment, compared to the 5.8-percent share nationally. The average hourly wage for this occupational group locally was $23.51, compared to the national wage of $22.90.

Some of the larger detailed occupations within the production group included miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators (11,090), first-line supervisors of production and operating workers (6,510), and computer numerically controlled tool operators (4,950). Among the higher-paying jobs in this group were power plant operators and gas plant operators, with mean hourly wages of $48.90 and $41.17, respectively. At the lower end of the wage scale were laundry and dry-cleaning workers ($15.72) and pressers, textile, garment, and related materials ($16.10). (Detailed data for the production occupations are presented in table 1; for a complete listing of detailed occupations available go to www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_33340.htm.)

Location quotients allow us to explore the occupational make-up of a metropolitan area by comparing the composition of jobs in an area relative to the national average. (See table 1.) For example, a location quotient of 2.0 indicates that an occupation accounts for twice the share of employment in the area than it does nationally. In the Milwaukee area, above-average concentrations of employment were found in many of the occupations within the production group. For instance, print binding and finishing workers were employed at 5.6 times the national rate in Milwaukee, and computer numerically controlled tool operators, at 4.9 times the U.S. average. Butchers and meat cutters had a location quotient of 1.0 in Milwaukee, indicating that this particular occupation’s local and national employment shares were similar.

The statistics in this release are from the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, a cooperative effort between BLS and the State Workforce Agencies (SWAs). BLS funds the survey and provides the procedures and technical support. State Workforce Agencies collect most of the data: in this case, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.


Technical Note

The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey is a semiannual survey measuring occupational employment and wage rates for wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments in the United States. The OEWS data available from BLS include cross-industry occupational employment and wage estimates for the nation; over 580 areas, including states and the District of Columbia, metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), nonmetropolitan areas, and territories; national industry-specific estimates at the NAICS sector, 3-digit, most 4-digit, and selected 5- and 6-digit industry levels; and national estimates by ownership across all industries and for schools and hospitals. Full OEWS data tables are available online.

Additional information about the OEWS estimates and methodology are available in the national Technical Notes. The overall national response rate for the six panels, based on the 50 states and the District of Columbia, is 65.8 percent based on establishments and 64.3 percent based on weighted sampled employment. The sample in the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area included 4,619 establishments with a response rate of 62 percent.

Metropolitan area definitions

The substate area data published in this release reflect the standards and definitions established by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

The Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area includes Milwaukee County, Ozaukee County, Washington County, and Waukesha County.

For more information

Answers to frequently asked questions about the OEWS data, as well as general program documentation, are available on the OEWS 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.

Table 1. Employment and wage data for production occupations, Milwaukee metropolitan area, May 2023
Occupation (1) Employment Mean wages ($)
Level (2) Location quotient (3) Hourly Annual (4)

Production occupations

76,240 1.6 23.51 48,890

First-line supervisors of production and operating workers

6,510 1.8 34.62 72,000

Coil winders, tapers, and finishers

240 3.8 24.07 50,070

Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers

4,100 2.9 21.22 44,140

Engine and other machine assemblers

630 2.4 26.16 54,420

Structural metal fabricators and fitters

680 2.2 25.31 52,650

Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators

11,090 1.4 20.16 41,930

Bakers

1,040 0.9 16.77 34,890

Butchers and meat cutters

730 1.0 20.29 42,200

Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers

60 0.1 18.47 38,420

Slaughterers and meat packers

370 1.0 16.69 34,720

Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders

70 0.7 18.99 39,500

Food batchmakers

1,950 2.2 19.85 41,290

Food cooking machine operators and tenders

130 0.8 17.15 35,660

Food processing workers, all other

80 0.2 18.78 39,070

Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

400 1.2 20.66 42,980

Forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

60 1.2 25.80 53,670

Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

150 1.1 22.32 46,420

Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

2,460 2.6 22.41 46,620

Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

60 2.1 18.33 38,120

Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

1,030 2.5 22.16 46,090

Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

180 1.7 26.94 56,040

Machinists

3,860 2.5 23.92 49,750

Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders

230 2.0 25.63 53,310

Pourers and casters, metal

70 2.4 26.56 55,250

Patternmakers, metal and plastic

(5) (5) 22.67 47,160

Foundry mold and coremakers

290 4.7 23.52 48,930

Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

2,740 3.2 19.77 41,120

Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

1,230 1.8 27.85 57,920

Tool and die makers

1,310 4.2 30.23 62,880

Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

4,070 1.8 26.16 54,410

Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders

280 1.6 22.60 47,010

Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

160 2.0 23.05 47,950

Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

350 2.0 19.72 41,020

Metal workers and plastic workers, all other

150 1.4 20.07 41,740

Prepress technicians and workers

440 3.5 21.63 44,980

Printing press operators

2,150 2.7 23.22 48,300

Print binding and finishing workers

1,170 5.6 19.93 41,450

Laundry and dry-cleaning workers

940 1.0 15.72 32,710

Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials

170 1.1 16.10 33,490

Sewing machine operators

620 1.0 17.89 37,200

Shoe and leather workers and repairers

210 5.5 20.52 42,680

Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers

80 1.0 18.19 37,840

Textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders

40 0.8 18.24 37,950

Upholsterers

60 0.4 21.58 44,890

Textile, apparel, and furnishings workers, all other

50 0.6 23.23 48,330

Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters

300 0.6 23.67 49,240

Furniture finishers

50 0.6 21.54 44,790

Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood

130 0.5 18.71 38,920

Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing

270 0.8 18.42 38,300

Power plant operators

180 1.1 48.90 101,720

Stationary engineers and boiler operators

70 0.4 29.63 61,630

Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

390 0.6 30.09 62,590

Gas plant operators

90 1.1 41.17 85,620

Chemical equipment operators and tenders

570 0.9 23.21 48,280

Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders

(5) (5) 28.87 60,050

Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders

80 0.6 23.93 49,770

Grinding and polishing workers, hand

120 1.8 19.68 40,930

Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders

850 1.5 22.32 46,420

Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders

430 1.5 22.71 47,240

Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders

370 1.2 17.34 36,060

Furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders

80 1.0 20.76 43,170

Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers

4,030 1.3 23.45 48,770

Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers

80 0.6 24.49 50,930

Dental laboratory technicians

200 1.1 23.74 49,390

Ophthalmic laboratory technicians

70 0.7 21.54 44,810

Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders

2,890 1.5 19.20 39,930

Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders

1,780 2.1 22.40 46,600

Photographic process workers and processing machine operators

(5) (5) 17.60 36,610

Computer numerically controlled tool operators

4,950 4.9 26.89 55,940

Computer numerically controlled tool programmers

710 4.7 30.81 64,090

Etchers and engravers

110 2.5 21.94 45,640

Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic

160 0.8 21.45 44,610

Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders

720 1.4 25.24 52,500

Helpers--production workers

900 0.9 19.13 39,790

Production workers, all other

1,450 1.1 16.84 35,020

Footnotes:
(1) For a complete listing of all detailed occupations in the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area, see www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_33340.htm.
(2) Estimates for detailed occupations may not sum to the totals due to rounding, and because the totals may include occupations that are not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(3) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
(4) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a 'year-round, full-time' hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(5) Estimate not released.

 

Last Modified Date: Monday, July 22, 2024