Occupations · Production
Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers
Wind wire coils used in electrical components, such as resistors and transformers, and in electrical equipment and instruments, such as field cores, bobbins, armature cores, electrical motors, generators, and control equipment.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 51-2021.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 98% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $51,460 | 720 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $36,970 | 410 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $40,660 | 380 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $46,420 | 350 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $59,530 | 310 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $59,910 | 290 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $58,560 | 230 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $61,190 | 230 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $40,680 | 220 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $46,230 | 200 |
| San Juan-Carolina-Caguas, PR | $19,760 | 160 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $47,180 | 140 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Operate or tend wire-coiling machines to wind wire coils used in electrical components such as resistors and transformers, and in electrical equipment and instruments such as bobbins and generators.
- Attach, alter, and trim materials such as wire, insulation, and coils, using hand tools.
- Cut, strip, and bend wire leads at ends of coils, using pliers and wire scrapers.
- Review work orders and specifications to determine materials needed and types of parts to be processed.
- Examine and test wired electrical components such as motors, armatures, and stators, using measuring devices, and record test results.
- Select and load materials such as workpieces, objects, and machine parts onto equipment used in coiling processes.
- Record production and operational data on specified forms.
- Line slots with sheet insulation, and insert coils into slots.
- Apply solutions or paints to wired electrical components, using hand tools, and bake components.
- Stop machines to remove completed components, using hand tools.
- Disassemble and assemble motors, and repair and maintain electrical components and machinery parts, using hand tools.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2017-07
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2017-07
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
No longer listed 1
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| filament winding operator | 8142.6 | close |
| insulating tube winder | 8142.8 | broader |
| winding machine operator | 8151.4 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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