Kenosha, WI metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a waiter or waitress make in Kenosha, WI?

In the Kenosha, WI metropolitan area, waiters or waitresses earned a median of $29,480 a year ($14.17 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 960 of these jobs there. That is 39% below the $48,310 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $17,160 and $61,830; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Wisconsin tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $25,302 in take-home pay.

Waiter or waitress pay in Kenosha, WI at a glance

Median salary

$29,480$14.17 per hour · $2,457 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$17,160$8.25/hr
25th percentile$20,590$9.90/hr
75th percentile$45,570$21.91/hr
90th percentile$61,830$29.72/hr
Jobs in this metro960Location quotient 0.87 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here39% belowAll-jobs median $48,310
Against Wisconsin1% belowStatewide median $29,670
Against the U.S.16% 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 Kenosha, WI after taxes

$29,480
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$29,480
Net 86%
Fed 5%
WI 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$25,302After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,108Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$973Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,358 / yr
Wisconsin state income tax$566 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,255 / yr

Waiters or waitresses pay range in Kenosha, WI, hourly and yearly

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

What waiters or waitresses earned in the Kenosha, WI metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (WI)
10th percentile$8.25/hr$1,430$17,160$15,654
25th percentile$9.90/hr$1,716$20,590$18,356
MedianMedian$14.17/hr$2,457$29,480$25,302
75th percentile$21.91/hr$3,798$45,570$37,437
90th percentile$29.72/hr$5,153$61,830$49,699

Is $29,480 a good salary in Kenosha, 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$81,239Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)101.11.1% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household36.3%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 Kenosha, WI: common questions

What is the median salary for waiters or waitresses in Kenosha, WI?

The BLS median annual wage for waiters or waitresses in the Kenosha, WI metro area was $29,480 in May 2025, about $2,457 a month or $14.17 an hour. Statewide, the Wisconsin median for this job is $29,670, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for waiters or waitresses in Kenosha, WI?

The median hourly wage for waiters or waitresses in Kenosha, WI was $14.17 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $8.25 an hour and one in ten earned more than $29.72.

How many waiters or waitresses work in Kenosha, WI?

BLS estimated 960 jobs for waiters or waitresses in the metro in May 2025, or 12.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.87 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for waiters or waitresses in Kenosha, WI?

BLS wage estimates for waiters or waitresses in Kenosha, WI run from $17,160 at the 10th percentile to $20,590 at the 25th, $45,570 at the 75th, and $61,830 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do waiters or waitresses take home after taxes in Kenosha, WI?

On a median gross salary of $29,480, an estimated $25,302 lands in net take-home pay per year ($973 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Wisconsin in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,178 (an effective rate of 14.2%).

How much do waiters or waitresses make per month in Kenosha, WI?

On the median annual salary of $29,480, gross monthly income is $2,457. After federal, FICA, and Wisconsin state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,108 per month (or $973 every two weeks).

Is $29,480 a good salary in Kenosha, WI?

At $29,480, the median salary for waiters or waitresses is 36.3% of the Kenosha, WI median household income ($81,239). It is 39% below the $48,310 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 101.1, so prices here run 1.1% above the U.S. average.