Wilhelm Odelberg was enrolled at Uppsala University in 1863. He became a corporal in the Södermanland Regiment the same year, took his officer's examination in 1864, and became a second lieutenant that year. From 1865 to 1866, he studied languages and agriculture in Scotland, France, and Germany. He became a lieutenant in the regiment in 1873 and finally retired from the military in 1876, thereafter dedicating himself exclusively to running the Gustavsberg porcelain factory.

Odelberg had been the manager of the factory since 1869 and played a significant role in its development by introducing social measures to improve the workers' conditions, primarily the construction of housing for them, but also initiatives such as a grocery store with favourable prices for the employees. He also modernised the production in the factory, both technically and artistically.