StateRates

Appleton salaries

The median worker in the Appleton, WI metro area earned $48,490 a year in 2024, about $23.31 an hour. That ranks #120 of the 391 metro areas published here, 2% below the national median.

Wisconsin

Median pay $48,490 $23.31 per hour
Vs national -2% U.S. $49,500
Workers 123,920 wage and salary
Metro rank #120 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Appleton pays 0.9% less than Wisconsin as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Food Batchmakers 10.17× 1,400 $47,280
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 7.73× 600 $58,870
Printing Press Operators 4.89× 570 $47,630
Industrial Machinery Mechanics 3.08× 1,050 $63,190
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers 2.87× 980 $56,640
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders 2.76× 850 $44,170
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers 2.32× 1,280 $74,820
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters 2.31× 850 $85,890
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers 2.2× 1,050 $49,830
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 1.8× 2,110 $47,210
Bartenders 1.77× 1,060 $22,670
Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment 1.76× 530 $34,600

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Appleton
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Computer and Information Systems Managers $147,740 $71.03 200
Financial Managers $132,530 $63.72 510
Architectural and Engineering Managers $129,140 $62.09 220
Sales Managers $129,090 $62.06 380
Construction Managers $121,170 $58.26 330
General and Operations Managers $114,990 $55.28 1,500
Lawyers $108,770 $52.30 250
Industrial Production Managers $106,160 $51.04 370
Managers, All Other $104,090 $50.04 450
Software Developers $99,650 $47.91 510
Management Analysts $99,020 $47.61 350
Computer Systems Analysts $98,240 $47.23 240
Project Management Specialists $94,300 $45.34 890
Industrial Engineers $94,210 $45.29 490
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers $94,180 $45.28 310
Mechanical Engineers $92,300 $44.38 380
Civil Engineers $91,110 $43.80 330
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters $85,890 $41.29 850
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $82,980 $39.90 580
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $82,740 $39.78 300
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $82,410 $39.62 810
Registered Nurses $81,850 $39.35 2,040
Dental Hygienists $80,460 $38.68 240
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $79,100 $38.03 360
Loan Officers $78,550 $37.76 210
Accountants and Auditors $78,430 $37.71 1,050
Sheet Metal Workers $78,100 $37.55 360
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators $76,010 $36.54 480
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $74,820 $35.97 1,280
Cost Estimators $73,730 $35.45 290
Buyers and Purchasing Agents $66,590 $32.02 440
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $66,560 $32.00 1,030
Human Resources Specialists $65,370 $31.43 680
Electricians $65,210 $31.35 840
Business Operations Specialists, All Other $64,260 $30.89 410
Insurance Sales Agents $64,180 $30.86 560
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $64,100 $30.82 1,570
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers $63,710 $30.63 380
Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders $63,380 $30.47 210
Industrial Machinery Mechanics $63,190 $30.38 1,050
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $62,390 n/a 270
Training and Development Specialists $62,200 $29.91 370
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $62,090 n/a 920
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers $62,000 $29.81 270
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $61,830 $29.73 590
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors $61,710 $29.67 470
Carpenters $61,490 $29.56 860
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $61,300 $29.47 470
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $60,720 $29.19 300
Firefighters $60,650 $29.16 300
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel $60,590 $29.13 990
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $60,530 n/a 1,090
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists $60,220 $28.95 270
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders $58,870 $28.31 600
Computer User Support Specialists $58,690 $28.22 380
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics $57,320 $27.56 620
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $57,100 $27.45 2,010
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks $56,830 $27.32 460
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General $56,810 $27.31 1,270
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers $56,640 $27.23 980

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Appleton by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Retail Salespersons 3,640 $32,150 $15.46
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 2,990 $41,200 $19.81
Customer Service Representatives 2,860 $43,300 $20.82
Fast Food and Counter Workers 2,780 $28,350 $13.63
Cashiers 2,770 $29,710 $14.29
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 2,760 $35,420 $17.03
Office Clerks, General 2,430 $43,420 $20.88
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 2,110 $47,210 $22.70
Stockers and Order Fillers 2,060 $34,210 $16.45
Registered Nurses 2,040 $81,850 $39.35
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 2,010 $57,100 $27.45
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 1,810 $36,120 $17.37
Waiters and Waitresses 1,730 $29,130 $14.00
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products 1,570 $64,100 $30.82
General and Operations Managers 1,500 $114,990 $55.28
Food Batchmakers 1,400 $47,280 $22.73
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers 1,280 $74,820 $35.97
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 1,270 $56,810 $27.31
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 1,240 $45,760 $22.00
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 1,190 $48,670 $23.40

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.

Other Wisconsin metro areas

Appleton pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Appleton?

The median across all occupations is $48,490, or $23.31 an hour, covering 123,920 wage and salary workers. The mean is $59,360, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Appleton pay more than the rest of Wisconsin?

No. The metro median of $48,490 is 0.9% below the Wisconsin median of $48,930. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.

Which jobs pay best in Appleton?

Computer and Information Systems Managers ($147,740), Financial Managers ($132,530), Architectural and Engineering Managers ($129,140). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Appleton unusually full of?

Food Batchmakers, at 10.17× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.