Cooks, Restaurant pay range in La Crosse
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,050 a year or less, while the top 10% make $45,060 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in La Crosse earn between $31,080 and $38,510.
- $28K10th
- $31K25th
- $36KMedian
- $39K75th
- $45K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $35,820 | $2,985 | $17.22 |
| Median | $36,260 | $3,022 | $17.43 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $31,080 | $2,590 | $14.94 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $38,510 | $3,209 | $18.51 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Cooks, Restaurant salary after taxes in La Crosse
On the average salary of $35,820, a single filer in La Crosse takes home about $30,083 a year, or $2,507 a month and $1,157 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.
The La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in WI | $30,083 | $2,507 |
| Working in MN | $29,864 | $2,489 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
Is La Crosse a good place for cooks, restaurant? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the La Crosse area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 91.8), so the average $35,820 buys what about $39,033 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in La Crosse ($48,260). A typical home costs $335,330, or 9.4 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Restaurant salary in other Wisconsin cities
La Crosse ranks 6th of 13 Wisconsin metro areas for this job; Madison pays the most ($39,150).
Highest-paying cities for cooks, restaurant
Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($54,460).
- Kahului, HI$54,460
- San Jose, CA$49,390
- Seattle, WA$49,000
- San Francisco, CA$48,630
- Napa, CA$47,830
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Cooks, Restaurant salary in La Crosse: questions
How much do cooks, restaurant make an hour in La Crosse?
$17.22 an hour on average, and $17.43 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, restaurant salary in La Crosse?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,050 a year and the 25th percentile is $31,080, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, restaurant take-home pay in La Crosse?
About $30,083 a year ($2,507 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $35,820.
Do cooks, restaurant earn more in La Crosse than elsewhere?
The average here is 8% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($39,073).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-2014; area La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN (29100). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.4%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.13, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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