Waiters and Waitresses in the Eau Claire Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Waiters and Waitresses pay in Eau Claire, WI at a median of $29,720 per year ($14.29/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $35,230, the metro estimate is 16% below. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 1,160 waiters and waitresses are employed across the Eau Claire MSA in SOC 35-3031.

The Eau Claire pay distribution spans from $16,030 at the 10th percentile to $62,830 at the 90th, a 3.9× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $20,890 and the 75th at $46,230, so half of Eau Claire-based waiters and waitresses earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Eau Claire, WI covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide WI estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.