How many sign shops are in Wisconsin, and what do they pay?
Where Wisconsin sits in the state ranking
| # | State | Sign shops | Employees | Avg pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | Washington | 1,334 | $65,913 | |
| 20 | Minnesota | 2,053 | $67,675 | |
| 21 | Wisconsin | 2,311 | $67,913 | |
| 22 | Alabama | 1,523 | $57,419 | |
| 23 | Oregon | 1,162 | $67,528 |
Every state's shop count, ranked, is on the home page. The most shops: Texas with 748. U.S. total: 7,672 shops, 76,766 employees, $65,386 average pay.
Sign shops in Wisconsin since 2014
Wisconsin had 143 sign shops in 2014 and 146 in 2025, 3 more. Average pay moved from $55,511 to $67,913, up 22.3%. Every state's pay, ranked, is on the sign maker salary page.
| Year | Sign shops | Employees | Weekly pay | Annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 146 | 2,311 | $1,306 | $67,913 |
| 2024 | 150 | 2,329 | $1,272 | $66,146 |
| 2023 | 146 | 2,533 | $1,237 | $64,303 |
| 2022 | 144 | 2,454 | $1,093 | $56,811 |
| 2021 | 146 | 2,314 | $1,032 | $53,642 |
| 2020 | 148 | 2,386 | $1,186 | $61,652 |
| 2019 | 154 | 2,703 | $1,199 | $62,367 |
| 2018 | 155 | 2,746 | $1,174 | $61,064 |
| 2017 | 151 | 2,584 | $1,132 | $58,870 |
| 2016 | 146 | 2,521 | $1,096 | $57,012 |
| 2015 | 146 | 2,482 | $1,063 | $55,296 |
| 2014 | 143 | 2,410 | $1,068 | $55,511 |
Sign shops by metro area in Wisconsin
The largest metro areas touching Wisconsin, from the BLS 2024 metro figures, the latest year published for metro areas. A metro area that crosses a state line is counted whole. "Concentration" compares sign shops' share of the area's private employers with their share nationally (1.00× = the national share). 5 smaller metro areas are on the full metro list.
| Metro area | Sign shops | Employees | Avg pay | Concentration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis areaMinnesota, Wisconsin | 84 | — | — | 1.22× |
| Milwaukee area | 44 | 747 | $81,176 | 1.37× |
| Madison area | 18 | — | — | 1.32× |
| Sheboygan area | 8 | 184 | $56,843 | 4.18× |
| Wausau area | 8 | 137 | $61,805 | 3.21× |
| Racine area | 7 | 58 | $61,923 | 2.13× |
| Appleton area | 6 | — | — | 1.35× |
| Green Bay area | 6 | — | — | 1.05× |
| Kenosha area | 5 | 19 | $38,228 | 1.83× |
| Oshkosh area | 5 | 28 | $51,856 | 1.81× |
Every metro area, ranked by sign shops.
Putting up a sign in Wisconsin
The shops counted here sell into cities that each permit signs under their own code, and the permit is usually the longest step in a sign job. For the largest local market in these figures, PrinterFlo's summary of the sign rules in Madison sets out what needs a permit, the size limits and what the city checks before a sign goes up.
Common questions
How many sign shops are in Wisconsin?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 146 sign manufacturing establishments in Wisconsin in 2025 (annual average, private employers), ranking Wisconsin 21 of 51 states. Together they employed 2,311 people, about 15.8 per shop.
How much do sign makers make in Wisconsin?
Average annual pay across Wisconsin's sign shops was $67,913 in 2025, 4% above the U.S. sign industry average of $65,386. That is total payroll divided by employment, so it blends fabricators, designers, installers and owners on payroll.
What counts as a sign shop in these figures?
An establishment with payroll classified under NAICS 339950, Sign Manufacturing: businesses whose main activity is making signs, including electric and non-electric signs, channel letters, printed banners and vehicle graphics. Print shops, engravers and installation contractors classified under other codes are not included, and neither are owner-only shops with no employees.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), annual averages, private ownership, NAICS 339950 Sign Manufacturing, Wisconsin, 2014 to 2025 annual averages (metro areas 2024), read September 24, 2026. Average pay = total annual wages ÷ annual average employment. Ranks computed from the 51 states with a published establishment count.