Salary data is based on the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metropolitan area and applied to Milwaukee using local cost-of-living adjustments.

Woodworking Machine Setters Salaries in Milwaukee, WI

Average Base Pay

$37,966/yr

5% below national average

Monthly

$3,164

Hourly

$18

Cost Index

Woodworking Machine Setters in Milwaukee, WI earn an average of $37,966 per year, with most salaries falling between $30,373 and $45,559 depending on experience, employer, and specialization. At 5% below the national average, Milwaukee offers a more modest rate for this role, in part reflecting a local cost of living index of 85. For professionals evaluating a move or negotiating an offer, the headline salary is only part of the picture—what matters most is how far that income actually goes once taxes, rent, and daily expenses are factored in. The sections below break that down in full for Milwaukee.

Salary Range

The chart below shows the full compensation spectrum for this role, from entry-level to senior positions. The highlighted center bars represent the 25th–75th percentile band where most professionals are paid.

$28K
Low

$38K
Median

$47K
High

25th percentile: $32K75th percentile: $44K

About Woodworking Machine Setters

Manufacturing Engineers develop, implement, and improve manufacturing processes that transform raw materials and components into finished products efficiently, safely, and to quality standards. They design and commission production lines, select manufacturing equipment, develop process parameters and work instructions, and troubleshoot production problems. In new product introduction, manufacturing engineers collaborate with product design teams from early development to ensure that product designs are manufacturable—flagging design features that are difficult or costly to produce and proposing design changes that improve producibility. They conduct process validation studies demonstrating that processes consistently produce output within specifications, write manufacturing process documentation, and develop operator training materials. Process improvement is continuous: manufacturing engineers collect and analyze production data, identify sources of scrap, yield loss, and cycle time inefficiency, and implement lean manufacturing improvements including 5S, standardized work, and error-proofing (poka-yoke). In regulated industries such as medical devices or pharmaceuticals, they manage process validation per FDA and ISO requirements.

What Woodworking Machine Setters Do

Design and implement manufacturing processes for new or existing products
Select, specify, and commission manufacturing equipment and tooling
Develop process parameters, work instructions, and operator training materials
Conduct process capability studies and manufacturing process validation
Troubleshoot production quality and efficiency problems
Collaborate with product design on design for manufacturability
Lead lean manufacturing improvement projects (5S, kaizen, standard work)
Manage process documentation and engineering change control

Key Skills & Qualifications

Manufacturing process design and optimization
CAD software for fixture and tooling design
Statistical process control (SPC) and process capability analysis
Lean manufacturing tools (5S, Kanban, SMED, poka-yoke)
Design for manufacturability and assembly (DFM/DFA)
Process validation methodology (IQ/OQ/PQ)
PLC and automation fundamentals
Engineering change management and document control

Career Path

Manufacturing Engineer I
Manufacturing Engineer II
Senior Manufacturing Engineer
Lead Manufacturing Engineer / Process Engineering Manager
Director of Manufacturing Engineering

Woodworking Machine Setters Market in Milwaukee, WI

Salary Competitiveness

Milwaukee currently pays 5% below the national median for Woodworking Machine Setters. This gap can reflect a lower regional cost base, thinner employer density, or a surplus of qualified candidates relative to open roles—factors worth factoring into any offer negotiation or relocation calculation.

Cost of Living Impact

Milwaukee's cost of living runs below the national average, which works in favor of this salary. Essential monthly expenses account for approximately 98% of take-home pay—a ratio that leaves meaningful room for savings, debt reduction, and discretionary spending compared with higher-cost metros.

Effective Purchasing Power

Despite a competitive gross salary, a Woodworking Machine Setters earning $37,966 in Milwaukee operates in a tight purchasing-power band once taxes and local cost of living are applied. Careful planning around housing, transportation, and discretionary spending is essential to avoid running negative disposable income month to month.

vs. National Avg

-5%

Cost Pressure

98%

Purchasing Power

Tight

Take-Home Pay Calculator

Enter any gross salary to see how federal and state taxes affect your actual take-home pay, broken down by year, month, and week. Results use an estimated effective tax rate of 27% based on this location and income level.

Annual Salary

Take-home (73%)Taxes (27%)

Annual Net

$27,715

Monthly

$2,310

Weekly

$533

Eff. Tax Rate

27%

A gross salary of $37,966 for a Woodworking Machine Setters in Milwaukee translates to roughly $2,310 in monthly take-home pay after estimated federal and state taxes. Set against monthly living costs of $2,275—covering housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare—that leaves approximately $35 per month in disposable income. That margin, not the gross number, is what determines whether you can comfortably cover rent, build savings, and afford discretionary spending in Milwaukee's current market.

How far does this salary go in Milwaukee?

Cost of Living in Milwaukee

Estimated monthly expenses for a single person in Milwaukee, benchmarked against US regional price indices for housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare.

Cost Index

Below Avg — US average is 100. Based on a single person (1-bed apartment).

🏠Housing / Rent$1,240/mo

🍔Food & Groceries$450/mo

🚗Transportation$125/mo

💡Utilities$170/mo

🏥Healthcare$290/mo

Monthly$2,275

Annual$27,300

Disposable Income$35

Financial Reality Check

This section compares estimated monthly take-home pay against typical living costs in Milwaukee to show your real disposable income—the amount remaining after essential bills are paid each month.

Monthly Take-Home

$2,310

Living Costs

$2,275

Disposable

$35

Cost Index

Lifestyle

Tight

With a monthly take-home of $2,310, your estimated living costs in Milwaukee are $2,275 ($27,300/yr). This leaves $35 per month in disposable income, indicating a tight standard of living. Milwaukee's cost of living is 15% below the national average.

Overall, a Woodworking Machine Setters earning $37,966 in Milwaukee falls into a tight lifestyle tier and will need to budget carefully—essential costs consume a significant share of take-home pay, leaving limited room for savings or emergencies. With a cost index of 85, Milwaukee is 15% more affordable than the national average, which extends your purchasing power. Regardless of tier, prioritizing retirement contributions, an emergency fund of three to six months' expenses, and incremental debt reduction will yield the greatest long-term financial stability—especially as living costs in Milwaukee continue to evolve.