BLS metro-level wage data places Waiters and Waitresses pay in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN at a median of $28,380 per year ($13.64/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $35,230, La Crosse-Onalaska pays 19% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 1,270 waiters and waitressess are employed across the La Crosse-Onalaska MSA in SOC 35-3031.

The La Crosse-Onalaska pay distribution spans from $16,280 at the 10th percentile to $59,390 at the 90th — a 3.6× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $21,030 and the 75th at $37,930, so half of La Crosse-Onalaska-based waiters and waitressess earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide WI data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.