Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Production · SOC 51-2021 · O*NET 51-2021.00
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.
Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers fall under the Production category in the U.S. occupational classification. Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers earn a median salary of $47,260 per year, ranking in the top 71% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects -6.3% job growth through 2034, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Entry into this field typically requires an apprenticeship, technical certification, or postsecondary training, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do coil winders, tapers, and finishers earn?
The median annual wage for coil winders, tapers, and finishers is $47,260. That puts coil winders, tapers, and finishers at #571 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is around or below the U.S. median for individual workers, so career growth often depends on advancement into supervisory roles, specialization, or additional credentials. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $35,180 |
| 25th percentile | $39,380 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $47,260 |
| 75th percentile | $57,800 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $62,790 |
| Median hourly wage | $22.72/hr |
Is coil winders, tapers, and finishers a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for coil winders, tapers, and finishers is -6.3%, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Employment is projected to move from approximately 12K positions in 2024 to 11K in 2034, a net change of -1K. A declining outlook does not mean the field is disappearing; it means automation, demographics, or substitution effects are shrinking the pool of openings. Students entering a declining field should plan for adjacent skills that transfer to growing roles.
What do coil winders, tapers, and finishers do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working coil winders, tapers, and finishers, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Attach, alter, and trim materials such as wire, insulation, and coils, using hand tools.
- 2.Review work orders and specifications to determine materials needed and types of parts to be processed.
- 3.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.
- 4.Cut, strip, and bend wire leads at ends of coils, using pliers and wire scrapers.
- 5.Record production and operational data on specified forms.
- 6.Select and load materials such as workpieces, objects, and machine parts onto equipment used in coiling processes.
- 7.Stop machines to remove completed components, using hand tools.
Top skills for coil winders, tapers, and finishers
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become coil winders, tapers, and finisher?
Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers typically enter the field through a formal apprenticeship, technical certification, or vocational training program — a strong fit for teens who prefer hands-on learning over traditional college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about coil winders, tapers, and finishers
What is the median salary for coil winders, tapers, and finishers?
The median annual salary for coil winders, tapers, and finishers is $47,260 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is coil winders, tapers, and finishers a growing career?
BLS projects -6.3% growth for coil winders, tapers, and finishers from 2024 through 2034, which is declining growth projected to lose jobs through 2034.
What education does my child need to become coil winders, tapers, and finisher?
The typical entry path requires an apprenticeship, technical certification, or postsecondary training, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to coil winders, tapers, and finishers?
Related occupations within the Production category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.