Best Community Colleges in Wisconsin

Why Attend Community College in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin is blessed with major public and private universities that can provide traditional college experiences. But prospective and even current students can save money and get a great education by attending one of the state’s many community colleges. Wisconsin has twelve community colleges that offer an average tuition of $3,712 per year, far below the national average. The communities around the colleges provide an ideal environment for anyone looking to focus on their studies and get an affordable degree.

What Career Pathways Are Available in Wisconsin?

In Wisconsin, individuals have the choice of 740 different job types when pursuing work. This places the Dairy State in the 23rd percentile of states. Wisconsin's job types are 2.5% higher than the national median of 722, suggesting a relatively high number of professions compared to other states. In terms of job quantity, Wisconsin ranks #18 in the nation with around 2,754,870 people employed here, contributing about 1.96% of the national labor force. Wisconsin is known for its industries related to food production, machinery manufacturing, tourism, and nuclear energy.

What Are The Most Common Jobs in Wisconsin?

The sheer number of available job types in Wisconsin can be overwhelming, so understanding the most common ones is advantageous. Right off the bat, you’ll notice the presence of stockers and order fillers, miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators, and janitors and cleaners - with the latter being the most common job type.

Stockers and Order Fillers

Wisconsin offers 47,320 stockers and order fillers. This makes it the 18th most populous state for this job type. There is a marked discrepancy in terms of median salary however, with Wisconsin paying $29,280 for these positions, placing the Wisconsin well below many other states. California alone has nearly 300,000 such workers, and the difference in pay between the two stands at a whopping 82%. Despite the lower compensation, stockers and order fillers can still get raises of up to 80% in Wisconsin.

Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators

Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators make up a much smaller portion of the job market in Wisconsin (just 39,020 workers) but it is still the 13th most populous state for this job type. It is worth noting that the pay varies greatly in Wisconsin, with employees here earning $36,960, which is 2.5% higher than the national median. It still comes in at a lower rate than California, where the median salary hovers around $41,000 due to an influx of high-skilled workers. Nevertheless, individuals can still expect a sizable raise of up to 40% in these positions.

Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners

As mentioned previously, janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners, is the most common job type that you’ll find in Wisconsin with the state employing 37,410 such workers. In terms of pay, Wisconsin falls to the middle of the pack with a median annual salary of $29,680. The median is exactly on par with the nation's median, but lags behind the rate offered in California. With that said, janitors and cleaners can still sometimes see an increase of their base salary of up to 36% if they end up earning in the 90th percentile (according to BLS data), which is more generous than many other states.