Metro Milwaukee’s
Workforce Advantage
Metro Milwaukee’s workforce encompasses 814,950 workers across diverse industries, with particular strengths in manufacturing, healthcare, and business services. The region offers competitive wages with an overall median hourly wage of $23.30 and a mean annual wage of $62,630 as of May 2023.
Production Occupation Workers
76,240
With a location quotient of 1.62, Milwaukee’s manufacturing workforce is 62% more concentrated than the national average.
Healthcare Practitioners
59,370
Healthcare workers earn an average of $109,310 annually, making it one of Milwaukee’s highest-paying sectors.
Business & Financial Operations
57,950
These professionals earn an average of $84,170 annually, supporting Milwaukee’s growing business services sector.
Milwaukee’s
INDUSTRY SPECIALIZATIONS
Location quotient (LQ) measures the concentration of an occupation in Milwaukee compared to the national average. An LQ greater than 1.0 indicates Milwaukee has a higher concentration, revealing our competitive strengths.
Milwaukee Industry Specializations by Location Quotient
Milwaukee’s Highest Paying Occupations
High-Wage
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Milwaukee offers numerous high-paying career paths across multiple industries, from healthcare and management to technical and manufacturing fields.
MANUFACTURING EXCELLENCE
Milwaukee maintains its historic manufacturing strength with a diverse production workforce that’s 62% more concentrated than the national average. The region specializes in precision manufacturing, metalworking, and advanced production techniques.
Advanced Manufacturing
With 4,950 CNC operators (LQ 4.91) and 710 CNC programmers (LQ 4.73), Milwaukee offers unparalleled expertise in precision manufacturing.
Metalworking Specialization
Milwaukee excels in metalworking with high concentrations of tool and die makers, machinists, welders, and metal workers.
Industrial Engineering
With a location quotient of 1.97 for industrial engineers and 2.13 for industrial engineering technicians, Milwaukee offers expertise in manufacturing process optimization.
Milwaukee’s production workers earn an average of $48,890 annually, with specialized roles like tool and die makers and CNC programmers earning $62,880 and $64,090, respectively.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES STRENGTH
Workforce by
OCCUPATION GROUPS
Milwaukee’s diverse economy is reflected in its broad occupational distribution, providing stability and opportunity across economic cycles.
Milwaukee’s Employment Distribution Across Occupation Groups
Employer Resources
The MMAC offers numerous resources to help employers leverage Milwaukee’s workforce advantages:
We Are Here.
Ready To Help.
Want to learn how Milwaukee’s transportation advantages can benefit your business growth and success? Our team can connect you with resources, incentives and strategic partnerships to maximize your infrastructure opportunities.
Rebecca Gries
Executive Director, Milwaukee 7
Office: 414/287-4140
Cell: 262/510/9938
Katie Mendenhall
Director of Corporate Expansion & Attraction, Milwaukee 7
Office: 414/287-4143
Cell: 703/297-7098
Jane Mullarkey
Manager of Corporate Attraction & Expansion, Milwaukee 7
414/287-4171