La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI?

In the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $34,900 a year ($16.78 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 660 of these jobs there. That is 28% below the $48,260 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $24,190 and $43,640; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Minnesota tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,174 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI at a glance

Median salary

$34,900$16.78 per hour · $2,908 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$24,190$11.63/hr
25th percentile$28,320$13.62/hr
75th percentile$37,540$18.05/hr
90th percentile$43,640$20.98/hr
Jobs in this metro660Location quotient 1.36 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here28% belowAll-jobs median $48,260
Against Minnesotaabout the same asStatewide median $34,850
Against the U.S.1% belowNational median $35,320

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Food preparation worker salary in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI after taxes

$34,900
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,900
Net 84%
Fed 6%
MN 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,174After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,431Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,122Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,008 / yr
Minnesota state income tax$1,049 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,670 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (MN)
10th percentile$11.63/hr$2,016$24,190$21,055
25th percentile$13.62/hr$2,360$28,320$24,235
MedianMedian$16.78/hr$2,908$34,900$29,174
75th percentile$18.05/hr$3,128$37,540$31,154
90th percentile$20.98/hr$3,637$43,640$35,729

Is $34,900 a good salary in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for food preparation workers next to both.

Median household income$73,340Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)91.88.2% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household47.6%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Food preparation worker pay in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metro area was $34,900 in May 2025, about $2,908 a month or $16.78 an hour. Statewide, the Minnesota median for this job is $34,850, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN was $16.78 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.63 an hour and one in ten earned more than $20.98.

How many food preparation workers work in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN?

BLS estimated 660 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 7.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.36 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN run from $24,190 at the 10th percentile to $28,320 at the 25th, $37,540 at the 75th, and $43,640 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN?

On a median gross salary of $34,900, an estimated $29,174 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,122 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Minnesota in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,726 (an effective rate of 16.4%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN?

On the median annual salary of $34,900, gross monthly income is $2,908. After federal, FICA, and Minnesota state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,431 per month (or $1,122 every two weeks).

Is $34,900 a good salary in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN?

At $34,900, the median salary for food preparation workers is 47.6% of the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN median household income ($73,340). It is 28% below the $48,260 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 91.8, so prices here run 8.2% below the U.S. average.