Waiters and Waitresses pay range in La Crosse
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $16,280 a year or less, while the top 10% make $59,390 or more. The middle half of waiters and waitresses in La Crosse earn between $21,030 and $37,930.
- $16K10th
- $21K25th
- $28KMedian
- $38K75th
- $59K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $32,770 | $2,731 | $15.75 |
| Median | $28,380 | $2,365 | $13.64 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $21,030 | $1,752 | $10.11 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $37,930 | $3,161 | $18.24 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Waiters and Waitresses salary after taxes in La Crosse
On the average salary of $32,770, a single filer in La Crosse takes home about $27,783 a year, or $2,315 a month and $1,069 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% 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 | $27,783 | $2,315 |
| Working in MN | $27,576 | $2,298 |
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 waiters and waitresses? 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 $32,770 buys what about $35,709 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 10.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Waiters and Waitresses salary in other Wisconsin cities
La Crosse ranks 13th of 13 Wisconsin metro areas for this job; Madison pays the most ($38,450).
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 La Crosse: questions
How much do waiters and waitresses make an hour in La Crosse?
$15.76 an hour on average, and $13.64 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level waiters and waitresses salary in La Crosse?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $16,280 a year and the 25th percentile is $21,030, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the waiters and waitresses take-home pay in La Crosse?
About $27,783 a year ($2,315 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $32,770.
Do waiters and waitresses earn more in La Crosse than elsewhere?
The average here is 19% 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 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN (29100). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.6%.
- 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 1.03, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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