Jobs, pay and daily life in Manitowoc, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Manitowoc is a city in Wisconsin with 34,620 residents. The median household earns $63,757 a year and the median rent is $804 a month, which is 15.1% of the median household income. The nearest metropolitan area with BLS wage data is Sheboygan, WI (60,630 jobs), about 25 miles away; this place is probably not part of it, so its pay tables are a reference only.
How Manitowoc compares. Among the 80 largest places in Wisconsin, Manitowoc is #25 by population, #1 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #80 for remote work (#1 = most), #73 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Manitowoc County, is #25 of 72 counties for average pay ($53,550).
Manitowoc has 34,620 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.6% of the population of Wisconsin. It covers 18 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,929 people per square mile. The median age is 42.8, 6% older than the state median (42.8 against 40.2).
The median gross rent is $804 a month (rent plus utilities), 26% below the state median ($804 against $1,087). Over a year that is 15.1% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $160,700, which is 2.5 times the median household income ($63,757); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 67.6% of households own their home, about the same as the state average (67.6% against 67.8%).
The nearest metropolitan area with wage data is Sheboygan, WI, metropolitan area has 60,630 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $51,890 a year, about the same as the national median ($51,890 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are production (12,980 jobs, median $51,850); office and administrative support (5,990 jobs, median $48,020); transportation and material moving (5,470 jobs, median $47,110). The area is most specialised in production (3.9 times) and transportation and material moving (1.0 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are production ($51,850) and office and administrative support ($48,020). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Manitowoc County was 2.6%. 60.8% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Manitowoc County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 81.1% drive alone, 0.9% use public transit, 3.2% walk, 6.5% work from home. 9.3% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 8% below the state average (9.3% against 10.2%).
24.6% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 26% below the state share (24.6% against 33.4%). 4.1% of residents were born outside the United States, 21% below the state share (4.1% against 5.2%). The poverty rate is 12.6%, 20% above the state rate (12.6% against 10.6%).
The warmest month is Aug, averaging 70°F (21.3°C), and the coolest is Jan at 24°F (-4.2°C). About 855 mm (34 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (104 mm) and Jan the driest (39 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Sheboygan (25 miles, rent 15% higher); Bellevue (29 miles, rent 44% higher); De Pere (30 miles, rent 31% higher); Allouez (31 miles, rent 39% higher). Rent differences are against Manitowoc; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Wisconsin (285) →State guide: WisconsinCountry guideManitowoc CountyWisconsin rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 285 federal postings open in Wisconsin (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Wisconsin →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 690 | 0.51 | $122,130 | $60,480 | $320,290 | +15% |
| Industrial Engineers | 560 | 3.95 | $94,170 | $76,230 | $130,450 | -8% |
| Registered Nurses | 1,130 | 0.86 | $84,240 | $78,580 | $114,050 | -14% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | 1,050 | 3.99 | $76,710 | $59,580 | $104,360 | +3% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 660 | 1.36 | $73,530 | $45,140 | $127,280 | +2% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 760 | 1.28 | $62,410 | $41,630 | $79,640 | +26% |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | 740 | 4.57 | $59,460 | $51,890 | $61,630 | +11% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 970 | 1.20 | $56,820 | $47,010 | $76,840 | -3% |
| Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | 740 | 3.17 | $56,120 | $38,230 | $66,390 | +16% |
| Machinists | 560 | 5.03 | $55,130 | $45,650 | $72,270 | -6% |
| Food Batchmakers | 1,910 | 28.13 | $51,490 | $47,700 | $58,330 | +22% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,550 | 1.35 | $48,150 | $31,020 | $57,420 | +20% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 900 | 0.89 | $47,720 | $32,850 | $63,750 | +7% |
| Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | 910 | 6.12 | $47,120 | $35,760 | $54,050 | +9% |
| Nursing Assistants | 520 | 0.91 | $47,050 | $38,340 | $48,990 | +11% |
| Office Clerks, General | 860 | 0.90 | $46,320 | $30,500 | $62,640 | +3% |
| Receptionists and Information Clerks | 610 | 1.73 | $45,430 | $28,930 | $48,250 | +20% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 1,600 | 2.92 | $44,440 | $37,190 | $60,270 | -0% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 550 | 0.99 | $37,850 | $28,110 | $45,690 | +3% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,200 | 0.71 | $37,660 | $29,840 | $40,390 | +5% |
These figures are for the nearest metropolitan area with wage data, Sheboygan, WI, about 25 miles away. They show what the regional labour market pays; they are not a measure of this city.
Median pay across all occupations: $51,890 (US $50,980); unemployment 2.6% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 32.1% |
| Education and health care | 18.3% |
| Retail trade | 9.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 8.6% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 7.0% |
| Construction | 5.6% |
| Other services | 4.7% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.2% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.0% |
| Public administration | 2.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.4% |
| Information | 1.3% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.9% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Manitowoc lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manitowoc County | 81,406 | $5,402 million | $66,362 | 33,444 | 1,990 | $53,550 | +0.8% | 2.6% | 42,762 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 9,600 | 33.9% | $62,446 | 3.49 |
| Health care and social assistance | 4,297 | 15.2% | $52,328 | 0.90 |
| Retail trade | 3,537 | 12.5% | $32,512 | 1.06 |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,351 | 8.3% | $17,776 | 0.77 |
| Construction | 1,404 | 5.0% | $69,355 | 0.80 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,376 | 4.9% | $49,633 | 0.97 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,200 | 4.2% | $42,124 | 0.61 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 1,099 | 3.9% | $42,451 | 4.06 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 740 | 2.6% | $30,588 | 0.73 |
| Finance and insurance | 694 | 2.5% | $69,768 | 0.51 |
| Professional and technical services | 621 | 2.2% | $73,983 | 0.27 |
| Management of companies | 598 | 2.1% | $107,110 | 1.06 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 306 | 1.1% | $29,277 | 0.54 |
| Real estate and rental | 209 | 0.7% | $36,508 | 0.40 |
| Information | 146 | 0.5% | $39,957 | 0.23 |
| Educational services | 62 | 0.2% | $19,255 | 0.09 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 53 | 0.2% | $77,934 | 0.42 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 81.1% |
| Public transit | 0.9% |
| Walk | 3.2% |
| Work from home | 6.5% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 9.3% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,757 |
| Income per person | $36,474 |
| Median gross rent per month | $804 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 15.1% |
| Median home value | $160,700 |
| Homeowners | 67.6% |
| Poverty rate | 12.6% |
| Price level of the nearest metro area (US = 100) | 94.0 |
| Nearest metro median pay, all occupations | $51,890 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 7.65%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 42.8 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 90.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 24.6% |
| Born abroad | 4.1% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 60.8% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -4.2 | 24 | 39 |
| Feb | -4.0 | 25 | 39 |
| Mar | 0.4 | 33 | 54 |
| Apr | 5.0 | 41 | 88 |
| May | 9.7 | 49 | 96 |
| Jun | 15.7 | 60 | 104 |
| Jul | 21.0 | 70 | 85 |
| Aug | 21.3 | 70 | 84 |
| Sep | 17.7 | 64 | 75 |
| Oct | 10.7 | 51 | 85 |
| Nov | 4.4 | 40 | 54 |
| Dec | -1.2 | 30 | 52 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheboygan | WI | 25 mi | 49,645 | $62,927 | $924 |
| Bellevue | WI | 29 mi | 16,442 | $84,672 | $1,154 |
| De Pere | WI | 30 mi | 25,301 | $84,869 | $1,053 |
| Allouez | WI | 31 mi | 13,975 | $91,250 | $1,114 |
| Harrison | WI | 31 mi | 13,658 | $121,504 | $1,422 |
| Kaukauna | WI | 32 mi | 17,706 | $80,365 | $1,083 |
| Green Bay | WI | 33 mi | 106,253 | $66,206 | $932 |
| Ashwaubenon | WI | 33 mi | 17,314 | $69,667 | $964 |
| Appleton | WI | 37 mi | 75,023 | $80,483 | $1,030 |
| Howard | WI | 38 mi | 21,087 | $85,477 | $1,102 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
34,620 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$804 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 15.1% of the median household income.
$63,757 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
2.6% (BLS county, Manitowoc County (latest month 2026M09)).
Wisconsin. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.