SOC 35-3031 · Oshkosh-Neenah, WI metro

Waiters and Waitresses Salary in Oshkosh, WI

The average salary for waiters and waitresses in Oshkosh, Wisconsin is $35,970 a year ($17.29 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $29,840: half of the 950 people in this job in the Oshkosh-Neenah, WI metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 10% less than the U.S. average for this job ($40,060).

$35,970average per year

$17.29 / hourMedian $29,840Take-home ≈ $30,197

  • $16K10th
  • $21K25th
  • $30KMedian
  • $47K75th
  • $63K90th

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

950people in this job
-10%vs U.S. average
#4 of 13Wisconsin metros
93cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Waiters and Waitresses pay range in Oshkosh

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $16,310 a year or less, while the top 10% make $62,640 or more. The middle half of waiters and waitresses in Oshkosh earn between $21,200 and $47,070.

  • $16K10th
  • $21K25th
  • $30KMedian
  • $47K75th
  • $63K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$35,970$2,998$17.29
Median$29,840$2,487$14.35
Entry level (25th percentile)$21,200$1,767$10.19
Experienced (75th percentile)$47,070$3,922$22.63

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

Waiters and Waitresses pay in Oshkosh vs. Wisconsin and the U.S.

Waiters and waitresses in Oshkosh earn 4% more than the Wisconsin average ($34,570) and 10% less than the U.S. average ($40,060). At the median the gap is -15% against the U.S. median of $35,230.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Oshkosh$35,970$29,840$16,310$62,640950
Wisconsin$34,570$29,670$16,830$61,77036,220
United States$40,060$35,230$18,100$64,7202,270,910

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

Waiters and Waitresses salary after taxes in Oshkosh

On the average salary of $35,970, a single filer in Oshkosh takes home about $30,197 a year, or $2,516 a month and $1,161 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).

Wisconsin paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Oshkosh a good place for waiters and waitresses? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Oshkosh area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.9), so the average $35,970 buys what about $38,707 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Oshkosh ($54,060). A typical home costs $304,543, or 8.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $35,970 is worth in another city

Waiters and Waitresses salary in other Wisconsin cities

Oshkosh ranks 4th of 13 Wisconsin metro areas for this job; Madison pays the most ($38,450).

All Waiters and Waitresses salaries in Wisconsin

Highest-paying cities for waiters and waitresses

Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($87,210).

Waiters and Waitresses salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Waiters and Waitresses in Oshkosh, WI.

Waiters and Waitresses salary in Oshkosh: questions

How much do waiters and waitresses make an hour in Oshkosh?

$17.29 an hour on average, and $14.35 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level waiters and waitresses salary in Oshkosh?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $16,310 a year and the 25th percentile is $21,200, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the waiters and waitresses take-home pay in Oshkosh?

About $30,197 a year ($2,516 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $35,970.

Do waiters and waitresses earn more in Oshkosh than elsewhere?

The average here is 10% less than the U.S. average for this job ($40,060).

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 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI (36780). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.4%.
  • 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 0.69, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.69).

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