Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers
Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers (SOC 51-2021) earn a median $48,220 a year ($23.18 an hour) in the United States, with 12,840 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What coil winders, tapers, and finishers do
Coil winders, tapers, and finishers make the wound wire components found inside transformers, motors, generators, resistors, and similar electrical equipment. Much of the work consists of operating or tending wire-coiling machines that wind the wire onto bobbins and cores. The worker reads the work order to learn which materials and parts are to be processed, loads the materials and workpiece, and starts the machine. Afterward comes finishing: stripping and bending the wire leads with pliers, trimming excess wire, and altering or attaching insulation and other materials with hand tools. When a run ends, the operator stops the machine to remove the finished pieces and writes production and operating data on the required forms. Because the finished coil becomes part of electrical equipment, following the work order exactly matters from loading through trimming.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, a high school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education reported by workers in this occupation.
Also called: Armature Bander, Armature Connector, Armature Winder, Auto-Winder, Coil Builder.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $18.05 | $20.21 | $23.18 | $28.26 | $30.43 | $24.26 | 12,840 |
| Annual | $37,540 | $42,050 | $48,220 | $58,770 | $63,300 | $50,470 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where coil winders, tapers, and finishers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $17.66 | $26.42 | $35.54 | $77.93 | $77.93 | $43.72 | 60 | 0.02 | 0.20 |
| Annual | $36,740 | $54,960 | $73,920 | $162,100 | $162,100 | $90,950 | ||||
| Louisiana | Hourly | $22.30 | $22.86 | $29.56 | $34.65 | $40.00 | $29.89 | 60 | 0.03 | 0.36 |
| Annual | $46,380 | $47,560 | $61,480 | $72,080 | $83,200 | $62,170 | ||||
| Iowa | Hourly | $21.55 | $24.66 | $28.74 | $33.69 | $37.22 | $28.84 | 260 | 0.16 | 1.98 |
| Annual | $44,830 | $51,290 | $59,780 | $70,080 | $77,430 | $59,980 | ||||
| Georgia | Hourly | $21.45 | $22.53 | $28.45 | $30.40 | $31.16 | $27.57 | 420 | 0.09 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $44,620 | $46,870 | $59,180 | $63,230 | $64,820 | $57,350 | ||||
| Virginia | Hourly | $18.21 | $22.93 | $27.03 | $30.07 | $35.47 | $26.71 | 460 | 0.11 | 1.36 |
| Annual | $37,870 | $47,700 | $56,230 | $62,550 | $73,780 | $55,550 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Tennessee | Hourly | $18.38 | $19.32 | $22.25 | $29.22 | $30.42 | $23.70 | 1,460 | 0.45 | 5.38 |
| Annual | $38,220 | $40,190 | $46,280 | $60,770 | $63,260 | $49,300 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $12.94 | $18.68 | $21.18 | $27.49 | $29.72 | $22.19 | 1,150 | 0.08 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $26,910 | $38,860 | $44,060 | $57,180 | $61,810 | $46,160 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $18.56 | $22.09 | $22.97 | $24.57 | $28.32 | $23.40 | 1,020 | 0.18 | 2.22 |
| Annual | $38,590 | $45,940 | $47,770 | $51,100 | $58,900 | $48,680 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $17.67 | $20.30 | $25.14 | $29.80 | $38.12 | $26.20 | 850 | 0.09 | 1.06 |
| Annual | $36,760 | $42,230 | $52,280 | $61,990 | $79,280 | $54,500 | ||||
| Indiana | Hourly | $21.27 | $22.46 | $23.52 | $28.26 | $29.32 | $25.19 | 790 | 0.25 | 2.98 |
| Annual | $44,250 | $46,710 | $48,920 | $58,770 | $60,980 | $52,390 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Appleton, WI | Hourly | $21.98 | $26.13 | $32.03 | $32.03 | $33.26 | $28.94 | 40 | 0.36 | 4.39 |
| Annual | $45,710 | $54,350 | $66,630 | $66,630 | $69,180 | $60,200 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $25.57 | $29.70 | $30.40 | $30.78 | $32.14 | $30.30 | 220 | 0.08 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $53,190 | $61,780 | $63,230 | $64,030 | $66,850 | $63,030 | ||||
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | Hourly | $29.80 | $29.80 | $29.80 | $38.12 | $48.08 | $34.40 | 280 | 0.63 | 7.67 |
| Annual | $61,990 | $61,990 | $61,990 | $79,280 | $100,010 | $71,540 | ||||
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | Hourly | $18.40 | $22.67 | $29.57 | $30.16 | $39.61 | $28.38 | 40 | 0.02 | 0.25 |
| Annual | $38,270 | $47,150 | $61,510 | $62,730 | $82,390 | $59,020 | ||||
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | Hourly | $20.73 | $22.73 | $29.03 | $35.45 | $37.69 | $28.67 | 230 | 0.17 | 2.06 |
| Annual | $43,130 | $47,280 | $60,380 | $73,730 | $78,380 | $59,620 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $18.86 | $20.96 | $22.82 | $27.89 | $29.13 | $24.06 | 760 | 0.17 | 2.03 |
| Annual | $39,240 | $43,600 | $47,460 | $58,020 | $60,580 | $50,050 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $12.93 | $18.98 | $21.18 | $26.83 | $31.62 | $22.14 | 440 | 0.13 | 1.61 |
| Annual | $26,890 | $39,470 | $44,060 | $55,810 | $65,770 | $46,040 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $15.61 | $20.30 | $21.79 | $27.75 | $28.95 | $22.97 | 300 | 0.03 | 0.38 |
| Annual | $32,470 | $42,230 | $45,330 | $57,710 | $60,220 | $47,790 | ||||
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | Hourly | $29.80 | $29.80 | $29.80 | $38.12 | $48.08 | $34.40 | 280 | 0.63 | 7.67 |
| Annual | $61,990 | $61,990 | $61,990 | $79,280 | $100,010 | $71,540 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $18.35 | $20.75 | $22.02 | $29.64 | $30.01 | $24.42 | 270 | 0.07 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $38,170 | $43,160 | $45,810 | $61,650 | $62,410 | $50,790 | ||||
Top industries employing coil winders, tapers, and finishers
Electrical Equipment Manufacturing employ 37.3% of coil winders, tapers, and finishers nationally (4,790 jobs) at a median $49,980 a year ($24.03 an hour), followed by Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing (10.1%) and Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) (9.7%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Equipment Manufacturing NAICS 335300 | 4,790 | 37.3% | $49,980 | $24.03 |
| Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing NAICS 331400 | 1,300 | 10.1% | $49,260 | $23.68 |
| Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) NAICS 3330A1 | 1,250 | 9.7% | $45,950 | $22.09 |
| Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing NAICS 334400 | 1,010 | 7.9% | $39,470 | $18.98 |
| Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing NAICS 335900 | 970 | 7.6% | $44,480 | $21.38 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (12,840). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $38,360 for coil winders, tapers, and finishers in May 2021 and $48,220 in May 2025, with employment of 11,090 and 12,840.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $38,360 | $18.44 | 11,090 |
| May 2022 | $43,160 | $20.75 | 10,860 |
| May 2023 | $44,890 | $21.58 | 11,900 |
| May 2024 | $47,260 | $22.72 | 12,170 |
| May 2025 | $48,220 | $23.18 | 12,840 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
37 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington profile | $35.54 | $73,920 | $36,740 | $162,100 | 60 | 0.02 | 0.20 |
| 2 | Louisiana profile | $29.56 | $61,480 | $46,380 | $83,200 | 60 | 0.03 | 0.36 |
| 3 | Iowa profile | $28.74 | $59,780 | $44,830 | $77,430 | 260 | 0.16 | 1.98 |
| 4 | Georgia profile | $28.45 | $59,180 | $44,620 | $64,820 | 420 | 0.09 | 1.03 |
| 5 | Virginia profile | $27.03 | $56,230 | $37,870 | $73,780 | 460 | 0.11 | 1.36 |
| 6 | Alabama profile | $26.86 | $55,880 | $36,750 | $62,340 | 420 | 0.20 | 2.40 |
| 7 | Maryland profile | $26.05 | $54,180 | $40,460 | $63,130 | 160 | 0.06 | 0.68 |
| 8 | Kentucky profile | $25.72 | $53,490 | $31,540 | $64,990 | 100 | 0.05 | 0.59 |
| 9 | Minnesota profile | $25.40 | $52,820 | $47,140 | $65,280 | 80 | 0.03 | 0.33 |
| 10 | New York profile | $25.14 | $52,280 | $36,760 | $79,280 | 850 | 0.09 | 1.06 |
| 11 | Utah profile | $24.96 | $51,910 | $39,470 | $59,390 | 50 | 0.03 | 0.34 |
| 12 | South Carolina profile | $24.84 | $51,670 | $40,870 | $60,660 | 190 | 0.08 | 1.02 |
| 13 | Missouri profile | $24.76 | $51,490 | $44,020 | $59,700 | 420 | 0.14 | 1.74 |
| 14 | North Carolina profile | $24.61 | $51,180 | $38,780 | $78,380 | 480 | 0.10 | 1.18 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania profile | $24.22 | $50,380 | $38,460 | $60,610 | 450 | 0.07 | 0.90 |
| 16 | Arkansas profile | $24.04 | $50,010 | $47,150 | $50,050 | 430 | 0.33 | 4.01 |
| 17 | Idaho profile | $23.96 | $49,830 | $39,930 | $62,520 | 120 | 0.14 | 1.74 |
| 18 | Florida profile | $23.73 | $49,350 | $40,870 | $87,380 | 150 | 0.02 | 0.19 |
| 19 | Indiana profile | $23.52 | $48,920 | $44,250 | $60,980 | 790 | 0.25 | 2.98 |
| 20 | Colorado profile | $23.30 | $48,470 | $40,560 | $57,090 | 40 | 0.01 | 0.15 |
| 21 | New Jersey profile | $23.23 | $48,330 | $32,470 | $61,340 | 200 | 0.05 | 0.55 |
| 22 | Ohio profile | $22.97 | $47,770 | $38,590 | $58,900 | 1,020 | 0.18 | 2.22 |
| 23 | West Virginia profile | $22.96 | $47,760 | $36,230 | $59,560 | 70 | 0.10 | 1.15 |
| 24 | Michigan profile | $22.77 | $47,350 | $37,600 | $61,390 | 110 | 0.03 | 0.30 |
| 25 | Kansas profile | $22.34 | $46,470 | $37,980 | $59,900 | 70 | 0.05 | 0.63 |
| 26 | Tennessee profile | $22.25 | $46,280 | $38,220 | $63,260 | 1,460 | 0.45 | 5.38 |
| 27 | New Hampshire profile | $21.85 | $45,450 | $35,880 | $63,810 | 110 | 0.16 | 1.88 |
| 28 | Illinois profile | $21.64 | $45,020 | $38,120 | $57,960 | 760 | 0.12 | 1.51 |
| 29 | Massachusetts profile | $21.19 | $44,080 | $38,700 | $80,710 | 50 | 0.01 | 0.16 |
| 30 | Texas profile | $21.18 | $44,060 | $26,910 | $61,810 | 1,150 | 0.08 | 0.99 |
| 31 | Wisconsin profile | $20.80 | $43,270 | $38,880 | $59,330 | 570 | 0.19 | 2.34 |
| 32 | California profile | $20.35 | $42,330 | $36,310 | $68,180 | 440 | 0.02 | 0.29 |
| 33 | Connecticut profile | $20.30 | $42,220 | $37,020 | $57,140 | 320 | 0.19 | 2.26 |
| 34 | Oregon profile | $20.00 | $41,600 | $37,770 | $58,150 | 40 | 0.02 | 0.22 |
| 35 | Oklahoma profile | $19.47 | $40,490 | $33,440 | $57,110 | 120 | 0.07 | 0.82 |
| 36 | Nevada profile | $18.34 | $38,140 | $38,110 | $54,610 | 30 | 0.02 | 0.24 |
| 37 | Mississippi profile | $17.18 | $35,730 | $32,900 | $60,170 | 150 | 0.13 | 1.55 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (51-2020), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Production Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 51-2021 Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 51-2021, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-2021.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.