Prior to entering politics, Wagner held clerical positions with two local railroads, and worked as editor and business manager for the Dallas Post newspaper in
Dallas, Pennsylvania. He served as Treasurer of
Dallas, Pennsylvania, and as Deputy Clerk of Courts of
Luzerne County; and he later headed the inheritance tax department of
Luzerne County before his appointment as the county's property assessor in 1930. Originally a
Republican, Wagner switched to the
Democratic Party in 1934, before seeking statewide office. ==Personal life==