How to become a Coil Winder, Taper or Finisher

Official title: Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers

Also called: Armature Winder, Auto-Winder, Coil Finisher, Coil Winder, Hand Winder, Motor Winder, Winder, Winder Operator

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.

Main tasks

• 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.
• 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.
• Stop machines to remove completed components, using hand tools.

How to become one

The education and qualifications typically needed to enter these occupations vary by industry and employer. Although a high school diploma is enough for most jobs, experience and training are needed for advanced assembly work.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $48,220 a year The middle half earn $42,050 to $58,770.
• About 12,900 people work in this job now, and about 12,400 are projected by 2035. (-4%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

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• Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
• Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Coil Winder, Taper or Finisher?

The education and qualifications typically needed to enter these occupations vary by industry and employer. Although a high school diploma is enough for most jobs, experience and training are needed for advanced assembly work.

How much does a Coil Winder, Taper or Finisher earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $48,220 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $42,050 to $58,770.

Is a Coil Winder, Taper or Finisher a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 4% by 2035, from about 12,900 to about 12,400 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Coil Winder, Taper or Finisher?

Usually not. Only 8% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Coil Winder, Taper or Finisher?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.