What Wisconsin plant jobs ask for, and what moves pay
Findings from 354 live postings on manufacturers' own careers sites in Wisconsin, week of October 19, 2026. Each one shows how many postings it rests on; anything with too few is left out.
What most plant jobs ask for
The typical plant posting in Wisconsin asks for 5+ years, and 40% require a degree outright. The skills named most are Team leadership, Root cause, Lean.
- Team leadershipnamed in 44% of postingsTop
- Root causenamed in 29% of postings
- Leannamed in 24% of postings
- PLCnamed in 23% of postings
- Automationnamed in 23% of postings
- Toolingnamed in 18% of postings
- Six Sigma / belt16% of postings
- Travel stated13% of postings
Based on 354 postings. Link to this finding
Unusual opportunities worth a look
Perks and openings most plant postings don't offer, and how many in Wisconsin do right now.
- Paid relocation26 postings (7%)
- Formal training program13 postings (4%)
- Stated promotion path88 postings (25%)Top
- Tuition help63 postings (18%)
- New plant or launch4 postings (1%)
- Hybrid or remote days18 postings (5%)
- Sign-on bonus11 postings (3%)
🔒 6 more example roles behind this finding. See them with a free account →
- Process Engineer - High Pressure Die Cast (HPDC) · Brunswick · Fond du Lac, WI
Based on 354 postings. Link to this finding
The best-paying open roles right now
The highest posted ranges for engineering-level plant roles in Wisconsin.
🔒 5 more example roles behind this finding. See them with a free account →
- Controls Engineer · Electrical Automation Services · Chippewa Falls, WI · $120k–$155k
Based on 34 postings. Link to this finding
Skills that come as a package
When a posting names Six Sigma, 83% of the time it also names Lean. Put pairs like these side by side on your résumé.
- Six Sigma → Lean83% (50 postings)Top
- Robotics → PLC71% (37 postings)
- Robotics → Automation63% (33 postings)
- PLC → Automation59% (47 postings)
- Robotics → Machining50% (26 postings)
Based on 354 postings. Link to this finding
How often a degree is required
40% of plant postings in Wisconsin require a degree outright. Highest in industrial (40%), lowest in food & beverage (31%).
- Industrial40% of 221 postingsTop
- Food & beverage31% of 54 postings
Based on 354 postings. Link to this finding
Off-shift and weekend coverage
28% of plant postings in Wisconsin mention off-shift, weekend or on-call coverage. Highest in food & beverage (33%), lowest in industrial (25%).
- Food & beverage33% of 54 postingsTop
- Industrial25% of 221 postings
Based on 354 postings. Link to this finding
3 more findings for Wisconsin
- Physical demands
- Clearance and export-control roles
- How much travel
See all 9 findings, with the numbers behind them
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Source and method
- Source
- ShopFloorJobs analysis of 354 live plant job postings from 112 manufacturers' own careers sites (Workday, SuccessFactors, Oracle, iCIMS, Greenhouse and others), not job boards.
- Collected
- Week of October 19, 2026. Postings are re-checked daily; closed roles drop out.
- Method
- Pay is the middle of each posting's listed range for engineer and senior engineer levels, compared within the same team so a different mix of teams can't create a gap. Rates count postings that state the item. Correlation, not cause; findings with too few postings are left out.
Cite this report
ShopFloorJobs, "What Wisconsin plant jobs ask for, and what moves pay," Week of October 19, 2026. https://shopfloorjobs.com/reports/insights?state=wisconsin
Free to quote and share with a link to this page.