Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Packers and Packagers, Hand Salary in Milwaukee, WI

Packers and Packagers, Hand in the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area earn a median $35,070 a year — 3% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $29,597 take-home, or $2,466 a month.

Median salary
$35,070
$16.86 per hour
Typical range
$30,940 – $46,030
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Milwaukee, WI
4,030
1.36× national concentration
▼0.8%
Pay trend: The median for packers and packagers, hand in Milwaukee, WI fell from $35,360 (May 2024) to $35,070 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 3.2%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median packers and packagers, hand salary in Milwaukee, WI. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Packers and Packagers, Hand in Milwaukee, WI
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$29,597
per year · effective tax rate 15.6%
$2,466Monthly
$1,233Twice a month
$1,138Every 2 weeks
$14.23Hourly
  • Federal income tax$2,028
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,174
  • Medicare (1.45%)$509
  • Wisconsin income tax$762
  • Take-home pay$29,597

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.40% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Packers and Packagers, Hand pay by experience in Milwaukee, WI

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$30,940$14.88$26,460$2,205
25th percentile$31,300$15.05$26,733$2,228
Median (50th)$35,070$16.86$29,597$2,466
75th percentile$38,000$18.27$31,822$2,652
90th percentile (top earners)$46,030$22.13$37,921$3,160

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Wisconsin resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $35,070 buys in Milwaukee, WI

Prices in Milwaukee, WI are 3.1% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 3% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median packers and packagers, hand's $29,597 take-home pay has the buying power of $30,532 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,119
45% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,338
54% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$1,347
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Milwaukee, WI has 1.4× the national concentration of packers and packagers, hand jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.

Best-paying cities for packers and packagers, hand, adjusted for cost of living

Milwaukee, WI ranks #21 of 47 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Kansas City, MO $44,460$36,751$39,713
2Philadelphia, PA $43,970$36,160$35,259
3Cleveland, OH $37,440$32,016$34,087
4Columbus, OH $38,090$32,520$34,064
5Seattle, WA $44,010$37,542$33,781
6Memphis, TN $35,630$30,809$33,423
7St. Louis, MO $37,280$31,320$32,938
8Cincinnati, OH $36,650$31,403$32,927
21Milwaukee, WI$35,070$29,597$30,532

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 47 metros →

About the job: packers and packagers, hand

Pack or package by hand a wide variety of products and materials.

Typical education
No formal educational credential
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
-5.0% (declining)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a packers and packagers, hand make in Milwaukee, WI?

The median packers and packagers, hand salary in the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area is $35,070 a year, or about $16.86 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $31,300 and $38,000.

What is a packers and packagers, hand’s take-home pay in Milwaukee, WI?

On the median $35,070 salary, a single filer living in Wisconsin takes home about $29,597 a year ($2,466 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $762 in Wisconsin taxes in 2026.

Is Milwaukee, WI a good place to work as a packers and packagers, hand?

Pay here is 3% below the national median of $36,280. Local prices are 3.1% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $30,532 would in a typical U.S. city. Milwaukee, WI ranks #21 of 47 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a packers and packagers, hand afford rent in Milwaukee, WI?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Milwaukee, WI is $1,119 a month ($1,338 for two bedrooms) — 45% of a median packers and packagers, hand’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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