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Careers in the manufacturing cluster involve Planning, managing, and processing materials into intermediate and final products and related professional and technical support activities, including production, planning, control, maintenance, manufacturing, and process engineering
Each tab below includes a list of common career options based on the typical level of education each occupation requires.
The Registered Apprenticeship tab provides links to Wisconsin Registered Apprenticeship opportunities available within the career pathway.
If no training options are listed when clicking on the Education links below, it is recommended to use the search pages available for Education or Eligible Training Programs List (ETPL).
You can also search Manufacturing in Skill Explorer.
Career Pathways Resources| Occupations | Education & Training | Open Jobs | Occupation Overview | Wage Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $45,120 |
| Food Batchmakers | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $46,760 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $40,360 |
| Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $48,840 |
| Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $51,760 |
| Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $50,060 |
| Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $48,730 |
| Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $37,870 |
| Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $46,570 |
| Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $51,540 |
| Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $53,530 |
| Machinists | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $52,030 |
| Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $47,980 |
| Pourers and Casters, Metal | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $46,170 |
| Model Makers, Metal and Plastic | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $70,340 |
| Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $47,540 |
| Foundry Mold and Coremakers | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $44,420 |
| Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $44,360 |
| Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $46,680 |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $55,620 |
| Occupations | Education & Training | Open Jobs | Occupation Overview | Wage Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $48,180 |
| Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $47,950 |
| Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $58,890 |
| Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $39,380 |
| Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $48,080 |
| Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $40,440 |
| Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $40,780 |
| Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $26,290 |
| Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $37,500 |
| Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $65,820 |
| Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | S |
| Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $48,700 |
| Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $21,270 |
| Upholsterers | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $45,530 |
| Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $46,150 |
| Furniture Finishers | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $40,010 |
| Model Makers, Wood | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $51,370 |
| Patternmakers, Wood | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | S |
| Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $43,190 |
| Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $41,400 |
| Occupations | Education & Training | Open Jobs | Occupation Overview | Wage Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuclear Power Reactor Operators | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | S |
| Power Distributors and Dispatchers | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $104,550 |
| Power Plant Operators | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $81,250 |
| Chemical Plant and System Operators | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $51,000 |
| Gas Plant Operators | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $87,170 |
| Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $83,070 |
| Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $49,150 |
| Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $61,800 |
| Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $49,710 |
| Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $53,600 |
| Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $50,750 |
| Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $41,020 |
| Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $50,220 |
| Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $49,020 |
| Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $54,080 |
| Dental Laboratory Technicians | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $47,250 |
| Medical Appliance Technicians | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $42,060 |
| Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $44,370 |
| Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $44,170 |
| Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $48,100 |
| Semiconductor Processing Technicians | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | S |
| Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $44,750 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $55,550 |
| Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $48,710 |
| Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $51,410 |
| Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | S |
| Etchers and Engravers | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $42,070 |
| Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $45,870 |
| Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $57,760 |
| Tire Builders | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | S |
| Helpers--Production Workers | Education | Find Jobs | Overview | $43,700 |
Occupation Column
Job types and descriptions. Based on the 2018 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system, a federal statistical standard used by federal agencies to classify workers into occupational categories for the purpose of collecting, calculating, or disseminating data.
DWD Apprenticeship Column
Links to Wisconsin registered apprenticeship opportunities for each occupation listed. Apprentices learn a portion of their skills in a traditional classroom, and receive most of their training on-the-job, while working for an employer.
Education & Training Column
List of education and training available for each occupation. Information in this tool comes from the U.S. Department of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Institutional Characteristics and Completions.
WIOA Eligible Training Column
A list of trainings available for the occupation. Trainings are eligible for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title 1 training.
Open Jobs Column
Match your skills to open jobs. Skill Explorer is a Job Center of Wisconsin tool. Open Jobs List of current jobs, by occupation, from Skill Explorer.
Occupation Overview Column
Links to My Next Move, a website that provides information about each occupation. My Next Move is sponsored by the U.S Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration, and developed by the National Center for O*NET Development.
Related Occupations Column
Related Occupations List of jobs related to the occupation from Skill Explorer.
Wage Source Column
Bureau of Labor and Statistics Wage Data.
DWD Contact Information
201 E. Washington Ave
P.O. Box 7946
Madison, WI 53707
(608) 266-3131
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