SOC 51-9196 · Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro

Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary in Milwaukee, WI

The average salary for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is $54,720 a year ($26.31 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $54,410: half of the 920 people in this job in the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 4% more than the U.S. average for this job ($52,840).

$54,720average per year

$26.31 / hourMedian $54,410Take-home ≈ $44,338

  • $42K10th
  • $48K25th
  • $54KMedian
  • $60K75th
  • $65K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

920people in this job
+4%vs U.S. average
#5 of 9Wisconsin metros
97cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay range in Milwaukee

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $41,920 a year or less, while the top 10% make $65,480 or more. The middle half of paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders in Milwaukee earn between $47,860 and $59,790.

  • $42K10th
  • $48K25th
  • $54KMedian
  • $60K75th
  • $65K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$54,720$4,560$26.31
Median$54,410$4,534$26.16
Entry level (25th percentile)$47,860$3,988$23.01
Experienced (75th percentile)$59,790$4,982$28.75

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay in Milwaukee vs. Wisconsin and the U.S.

Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders in Milwaukee earn 3% less than the Wisconsin average ($56,430) and 4% more than the U.S. average ($52,840). At the median the gap is +8% against the U.S. median of $50,270.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Milwaukee$54,720$54,410$41,920$65,480920
Wisconsin$56,430$58,050$45,740$70,2408,510
United States$52,840$50,270$37,300$70,32096,130

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary after taxes in Milwaukee

On the average salary of $54,720, a single filer in Milwaukee takes home about $44,338 a year, or $3,695 a month and $1,705 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

Wisconsin paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Milwaukee a good place for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Milwaukee area are 3% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 96.9), so the average $54,720 buys what about $56,449 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Milwaukee ($51,160). A typical home costs $390,238, or 7.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $54,720 is worth in another city

Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary in other Wisconsin cities

Milwaukee ranks 5th of 9 Wisconsin metro areas for this job; Wausau pays the most ($62,350).

All Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salaries in Wisconsin

Highest-paying cities for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders

Cedar Rapids, IA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($70,830).

Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary by city

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Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary in Milwaukee: questions

How much do paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders make an hour in Milwaukee?

$26.31 an hour on average, and $26.16 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders salary in Milwaukee?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $41,920 a year and the 25th percentile is $47,860, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders take-home pay in Milwaukee?

About $44,338 a year ($3,695 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $54,720.

Do paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders earn more in Milwaukee than elsewhere?

The average here is 4% more than the U.S. average for this job ($52,840).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 51-9196; area Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI (33340). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.5%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.82, this job is 1.8 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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