He attended the Mining and Mechanical Institute of Freeland, and graduated from Wilkes-Barre Business School.
Originally a Republican, Wagner switched to the Democratic Party in 1934, before seeking statewide office.
After retirement from public life, Wagner moved to Florida where he was involved in real estate development in Ft. Lauderdale and Pompano Beach.
He later moved to Black Mountain, North Carolina where he subdivided property and built homes until his death.
In 1960, Wagner suffered a heart attack and died at an Asheville, North Carolina hospital near Black Mountain.