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Coil winder: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 28, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$48,220median pay per year, or $23.18 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $37,540lowest 10% earn less
  2. $42,05025th percentile
  3. $48,220median
  4. $58,77075th percentile
  5. $63,300top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[4]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[2]

A coil winder had a median pay of $48,220 a year in May 2025, a little under the $50,980 median for all occupations[1][2]. Employment is projected to decline 4% by 2035[3].

Job growth, 2025–35
-4%[3]
Openings per year
1,200[5]
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent[6]

How much do coil winders make?

BLS files this job under Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers. In May 2025 the median wage was $48,220 a year, or $23.18 an hour[1]. Half of workers earned more than that, and half earned less[1]. The average was $50,470 a year, or $24.26 an hour[7]. The median for all occupations in the US was $50,980[2].

The percentile wages show the spread:

Group Yearly Hourly
Lowest-paid 10% earned less than[4][8] $37,540 $18.05
Lowest-paid 25% earned less than[4][8] $42,050 $20.21
Highest-paid 25% earned more than[4][8] $58,770 $28.26
Highest-paid 10% earned more than[4][8] $63,300 $30.43

These are boundary points in the pay scale. BLS does not publish a starting salary[9].

The figures cover workers paid a wage or salary. They leave out the self-employed, nonproduction bonuses and the cost of benefits such as health insurance[10].

Pay by state and city

Washington had the highest median pay among states at $73,920 (60 jobs), followed by Louisiana at $61,480 and Iowa at $59,780[11].

Tennessee had the most coil winder jobs at 1,460[12]. Texas had 1,150, Ohio had 1,020, New York had 850 and Indiana had 790[12].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs[13], Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA had the highest median at $63,230. Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY followed at $61,990[13]. The metro area with the most jobs was Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN with 760 jobs and a median of $47,460[14].

Show median pay in 37 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
Washington[11]$73,92060
Louisiana$61,48060
Iowa$59,780260
Georgia$59,180420
Virginia$56,230460
Alabama$55,880420
Maryland$54,180160
Kentucky$53,490100
Minnesota$52,82080
New York$52,280850
Utah$51,91050
South Carolina$51,670190
Missouri$51,490420
North Carolina$51,180480
Pennsylvania$50,380450
Arkansas$50,010430
Idaho$49,830120
Florida$49,350150
Indiana$48,920790
Colorado$48,47040
New Jersey$48,330200
Ohio$47,7701,020
West Virginia$47,76070
Michigan$47,350110
Kansas$46,47070
Tennessee$46,2801,460
New Hampshire$45,450110
Illinois$45,020760
Massachusetts$44,08050
Texas$44,0601,150
Wisconsin$43,270570
California$42,330440
Connecticut$42,220320
Oregon$41,60040
Oklahoma$40,490120
Nevada$38,14030
Mississippi$35,730150

How to become a coil winder

The training details here come from a BLS profile on assemblers and fabricators, a wider group than coil winders alone[15].

Certifications are not described as required, but they can show competence and may help you advance[19]. Some employers in aerospace and defense want electrical and electronic assembly workers to hold soldering certifications[20].

In an O*NET survey of 18 workers, 57% said a high school diploma or equivalent was required and 41% said a post-secondary certificate[21].

BLS also lists qualities that help in this kind of work. They include telling colors apart because wires are often color coded[22], steady hands and good hand-eye coordination[23], and basic machinery knowledge[24].

What coil winders do

O*NET describes the job as winding wire coils for electrical parts and equipment, such as transformers, motors and generators[25]. Typical tasks include:

Where they work

In the wider assemblers and fabricators group, transportation equipment manufacturing was the largest employer, at 25% in 2025[27]. The group works in manufacturing plants, and conditions vary by plant and industry[28]. Some hard tasks have been made easier with power tools or automation, but assembly work can still involve long periods of standing or sitting[28]. BLS says workers in the group should be ready to stand for long stretches and repeat the same tasks[29].

The group typically works full time. Some people work shifts that include evenings, weekends and nights[30].

Job outlook

BLS projects that employment for coil winders, tapers and finishers will fall 4% from 2025 to 2035, from about 12,900 jobs to 12,400, a change of 500 jobs[3]. For all occupations, BLS projects growth of 3.5% over the same period[31]. BLS names one factor behind the drop: collaborative robots raise efficiency, so the same amount of labor can produce more[32].

BLS still projects about 1,200 openings a year on average[5]. Openings also count jobs that come open when people retire or change occupations, not only new jobs[5]. Each year, 4.3% of workers leave the labor force and 5.5% move to a different occupation[33].

The OEWS wage data counted about 12,840 wage and salary jobs in May 2025[34]. The projection counts include self-employed workers[3]. The two numbers measure different things.

Is it a good fit?

The facts show a job with a modest barrier to entry. A high school diploma or equivalent is the typical education, and training happens on the job[6]. Pay was a little below the all-occupations median, with a spread from $37,540 to $63,300 between the 10th and 90th percentiles[1][2][4]. Employment is projected to fall, though openings from turnover continue each year[3][5]. Related machine operator jobs also show projected declines, such as Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders at -11.3%[35].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[35].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a coil winder make an hour?
The median wage was $23.18 an hour in May 2025, and the average was $24.26[1][7]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $18.05 an hour[8].
How much does a coil winder make a year?
The median was $48,220 a year, compared with $50,980 for all occupations[1][2].
What education do you need to be a coil winder?
BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent and moderate-term on-the-job training[6].
Is coil winding in demand?
Employment is projected to decline 4% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all occupations[3][31]. BLS still projects about 1,200 openings a year[5].
What is the highest paying state for coil winders?
Washington had the highest median at $73,920, followed by Louisiana at $61,480[11].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers in the US was $48,220 per year and $23.18 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers is projected to decline 4% from 2025 to 2035, from about 12,900 to 12,400 jobs (a change of -500). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers: 10th percentile $37,540, 25th percentile $42,050, 75th percentile $58,770, 90th percentile $63,300. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: about 1,200 openings for Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers was $50,470 per year and $24.26 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers: 10th percentile $18.05, 25th percentile $20.21, 75th percentile $28.26, 90th percentile $30.43. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. Median annual wage for Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers jobs: Tennessee 1,460; Texas 1,150; Ohio 1,020; New York 850; Indiana 790. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers (areas with at least 100 jobs): Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $63,230; Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $61,990; Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $60,380; Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD $52,660; St. Louis, MO-IL $49,170; Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $48,760; Pittsburgh, PA $48,440; Cleveland, OH $47,770. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers jobs: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 760 (median $47,460); Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 440 (median $44,060); New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 300 (median $45,330); Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 280 (median $61,990); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 270 (median $45,810); Memphis, TN-MS-AR 240 (median $42,050). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile "Assemblers and Fabricators" covers Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers together with other related occupations, so its text describes the wider group. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  16. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  17. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  18. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  19. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. O*NET 51-2021.00 survey of workers (18 respondents), education level they say is required: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 57%, Post-Secondary Certificate 41% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  22. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  23. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  24. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  25. O*NET description of Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers. O*NET OnLine
  26. O*NET task list for Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers. O*NET OnLine
  27. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of assemblers and fabricators in 2025: Transportation equipment manufacturing 25%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  28. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  29. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  30. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  31. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  32. BLS Employment Projections, factor affecting employment of Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers: Productivity change - share decreases as collaborative robotics increase efficiency, allowing more output to be produced with the same amount of labor. BLS Employment Projections
  33. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers: 4.3% of workers leave the labor force each year and 5.5% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  34. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 12,840 people were employed as Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  35. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers. The Occupational Outlook Handbook text covers a wider group of occupations than this page.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.