SOC 35-3023 · La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metro

Fast Food and Counter Workers Salary in La Crosse, WI

The average salary for fast food and counter workers in La Crosse, Wisconsin is $28,540 a year ($13.72 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $28,280: half of the 1,960 people in this job in the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 11% less than the U.S. average for this job ($32,150).

$28,540average per year

$13.72 / hourMedian $28,280Take-home ≈ $24,591

  • $22K10th
  • $24K25th
  • $28KMedian
  • $31K75th
  • $35K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

1,960people in this job
-11%vs U.S. average
#10 of 13Wisconsin metros
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Fast Food and Counter Workers pay range in La Crosse

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,490 a year or less, while the top 10% make $34,990 or more. The middle half of fast food and counter workers in La Crosse earn between $24,410 and $31,390.

  • $22K10th
  • $24K25th
  • $28KMedian
  • $31K75th
  • $35K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$28,540$2,378$13.72
Median$28,280$2,357$13.60
Entry level (25th percentile)$24,410$2,034$11.74
Experienced (75th percentile)$31,390$2,616$15.09

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Fast Food and Counter Workers pay in La Crosse vs. Wisconsin and the U.S.

Fast food and counter workers in La Crosse earn about the same as the Wisconsin average ($29,110) and 11% less than the U.S. average ($32,150). At the median the gap is -9% against the U.S. median of $31,200.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
La Crosse$28,540$28,280$22,490$34,9901,960
Wisconsin$29,110$28,600$22,240$36,09067,750
United States$32,150$31,200$22,840$42,6503,854,050

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Fast Food and Counter Workers salary after taxes in La Crosse

On the average salary of $28,540, a single filer in La Crosse takes home about $24,591 a year, or $2,049 a month and $946 every two weeks. Taxes take 14% 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:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in WI$24,591$2,049
Working in MN$24,404$2,034

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

Wisconsin paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is La Crosse a good place for fast food and counter workers? 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 $28,540 buys what about $31,100 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in La Crosse ($48,260). A typical home costs $335,330, or 11.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $28,540 is worth in another city

Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in other Wisconsin cities

La Crosse ranks 10th of 13 Wisconsin metro areas for this job; Madison pays the most ($30,970).

All Fast Food and Counter Workers salaries in Wisconsin

Highest-paying cities for fast food and counter workers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($44,980).

Fast Food and Counter Workers salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Fast Food and Counter Workers in La Crosse, WI.

Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in La Crosse: questions

How much do fast food and counter workers make an hour in La Crosse?

$13.72 an hour on average, and $13.59 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level fast food and counter workers salary in La Crosse?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,490 a year and the 25th percentile is $24,410, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the fast food and counter workers take-home pay in La Crosse?

About $24,591 a year ($2,049 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $28,540.

Do fast food and counter workers earn more in La Crosse than elsewhere?

The average here is 11% less than the U.S. average for this job ($32,150).

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 35-3023; area La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN (29100). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.1%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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 0.94, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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