Fond du Lac, WI metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Fond du Lac, WI?

In the Fond du Lac, WI metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $28,980 a year ($13.93 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 430 of these jobs there. That is 42% below the $50,340 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $16,160 and $59,780; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Wisconsin tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $24,925 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Fond du Lac, WI at a glance

Median salary

$28,980$13.93 per hour · $2,415 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$16,160$7.77/hr
25th percentile$18,660$8.97/hr
75th percentile$38,580$18.55/hr
90th percentile$59,780$28.74/hr
Jobs in this metro430Location quotient 0.66 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here42% belowAll-jobs median $50,340
Against Wisconsin2% belowStatewide median $29,670
Against the U.S.18% belowNational median $35,230

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

Waiter or waitress salary in Fond du Lac, WI after taxes

$28,980
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$28,980
Net 86%
Fed 4%
WI 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$24,925After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,077Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$959Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,298 / yr
Wisconsin state income tax$541 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,217 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Fond du Lac, WI, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Fond du Lac, WI metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Fond du Lac, WI metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (WI)
10th percentile$7.77/hr$1,347$16,160$14,865
25th percentile$8.97/hr$1,555$18,660$16,837
MedianMedian$13.93/hr$2,415$28,980$24,925
75th percentile$18.55/hr$3,215$38,580$32,165
90th percentile$28.74/hr$4,982$59,780$48,155

Is $28,980 a good salary in Fond du Lac, WI?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for waiters or waitresses next to both.

Median household income$74,275Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)91.68.4% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household39%of area median income

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

Do waiters or waitresses pay tax on tips?

Yes, but less than before. This job is on the Treasury's list of tipped occupations, so from 2025 through 2028 up to $25,000 a year of reported tips comes off federal taxable income, shrinking above $150,000 of income ($300,000 joint). Social Security and Medicare are still owed on every tip, and most states still tax them. The BLS pay figures on this page already include tips as employers report them.

See what the tips deduction saves you →

Waiter or waitress pay in Fond du Lac, WI: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Fond du Lac, WI?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Fond du Lac, WI metro area was $28,980 in May 2025, about $2,415 a month or $13.93 an hour. Statewide, the Wisconsin median for this job is $29,670, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Fond du Lac, WI?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Fond du Lac, WI was $13.93 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $7.77 an hour and one in ten earned more than $28.74.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Fond du Lac, WI?

BLS estimated 430 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 9.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.66 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Fond du Lac, WI?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Fond du Lac, WI run from $16,160 at the 10th percentile to $18,660 at the 25th, $38,580 at the 75th, and $59,780 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Fond du Lac, WI?

On a median gross salary of $28,980, an estimated $24,925 lands in net take-home pay per year ($959 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Wisconsin in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,055 (an effective rate of 14%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Fond du Lac, WI?

On the median annual salary of $28,980, gross monthly income is $2,415. After federal, FICA, and Wisconsin state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,077 per month (or $959 every two weeks).

Is $28,980 a good salary in Fond du Lac, WI?

At $28,980, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 39% of the Fond du Lac, WI median household income ($74,275). It is 42% below the $50,340 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 91.6, so prices here run 8.4% below the U.S. average.