Sewing Machine Operators pay range in Wausau
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,330 a year or less, while the top 10% make $45,810 or more. The middle half of sewing machine operators in Wausau earn between $33,960 and $41,340.
- $31K10th
- $34K25th
- $39KMedian
- $41K75th
- $46K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $38,460 | $3,205 | $18.49 |
| Median | $39,110 | $3,259 | $18.80 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $33,960 | $2,830 | $16.33 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $41,340 | $3,445 | $19.88 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Sewing Machine Operators salary after taxes in Wausau
On the average salary of $38,460, a single filer in Wausau takes home about $32,075 a year, or $2,673 a month and $1,234 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
Is Wausau a good place for sewing machine operators? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Wausau area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.7), so the average $38,460 buys what about $41,511 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Wausau ($48,790). A typical home costs $274,194, or 7.1 years of this average salary before tax.
Sewing Machine Operators salary in other Wisconsin cities
Wausau ranks 6th of 9 Wisconsin metro areas for this job; Appleton pays the most ($51,830).
- Appleton$51,830
- Madison$41,160
- Milwaukee$40,410
- Racine$40,210
- Janesville$39,460
- Wausau$38,460
- Fond du Lac$38,450
- La Crosse$37,790
- Green Bay$37,030
Highest-paying cities for sewing machine operators
Appleton, WI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($51,830).
- Appleton, WI$51,830
- Bend, OR$47,980
- San Jose, CA$47,860
- Santa Cruz, CA$47,460
- San Francisco, CA$46,380
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Sewing Machine Operators salary in Wausau: questions
How much do sewing machine operators make an hour in Wausau?
$18.49 an hour on average, and $18.80 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level sewing machine operators salary in Wausau?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,330 a year and the 25th percentile is $33,960, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the sewing machine operators take-home pay in Wausau?
About $32,075 a year ($2,673 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $38,460.
Do sewing machine operators earn more in Wausau than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($37,562).
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 51-6031; area Wausau, WI (48140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 6.2%.
- 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 0.68, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.68).
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