Waiters and Waitresses pay range in Appleton
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $17,270 a year or less, while the top 10% make $64,690 or more. The middle half of waiters and waitresses in Appleton earn between $21,390 and $47,010.
- $17K10th
- $21K25th
- $30KMedian
- $47K75th
- $65K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $36,600 | $3,050 | $17.60 |
| Median | $30,370 | $2,531 | $14.60 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $21,390 | $1,782 | $10.28 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $47,010 | $3,918 | $22.60 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Waiters and Waitresses salary after taxes in Appleton
On the average salary of $36,600, a single filer in Appleton takes home about $30,672 a year, or $2,556 a month and $1,180 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
Is Appleton a good place for waiters and waitresses? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Appleton area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.4), so the average $36,600 buys what about $39,602 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Appleton ($49,910). A typical home costs $350,370, or 9.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Waiters and Waitresses salary in other Wisconsin cities
Appleton ranks 2nd of 13 Wisconsin metro areas for this job; Madison pays the most ($38,450).
- Madison$38,450
- Appleton$36,600
- Sheboygan$36,160
- Oshkosh$35,970
- Eau Claire$35,700
- Milwaukee$35,250
- Racine$35,200
- Kenosha$34,980
- Wausau$34,420
- Janesville$34,280
Highest-paying cities for waiters and waitresses
Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($87,210).
- Kahului, HI$87,210
- Seattle, WA$62,940
- Honolulu, HI$61,880
- Bremerton, WA$61,770
- Burlington, VT$61,070
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Waiters and Waitresses salary in Appleton: questions
How much do waiters and waitresses make an hour in Appleton?
$17.60 an hour on average, and $14.60 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level waiters and waitresses salary in Appleton?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $17,270 a year and the 25th percentile is $21,390, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the waiters and waitresses take-home pay in Appleton?
About $30,672 a year ($2,556 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $36,600.
Do waiters and waitresses earn more in Appleton than elsewhere?
The average here is 10% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($40,608).
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 35-3031; area Appleton, WI (11540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.8%.
- 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 0.82, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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