Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other Salary
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Others in Wisconsin make a median of $31,240 a year, or about $15.02 an hour. The range runs from $25K at the entry level to $39K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.33), which stretches that salary to about $33,118 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,202/month, about 56.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Wisconsin. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $31K get you in Wisconsin?
About food preparation and serving related workers, all others
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What this looks like in Wisconsin
Pay for food preparation and serving related workers, all other in Wisconsin runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $36K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,202/month, which is 54.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.33 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for food preparation and serving related workers, all others.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wisconsin
Entry-level food preparation and serving related workers, all others (10th percentile) start around $25K. Mid-career wages sit at $31K. Top earners bring in $39K or more, a $14K spread from bottom to top.
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other salary by metro in Wisconsin
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison | $26K | -17% | N/A |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $25K | -18% | N/A |
Compare to other states
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Wisconsin numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a food preparation and serving related workers, all other afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wisconsin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $31K, rent takes 54.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,202/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for food preparation and serving related workers, all others in Wisconsin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food preparation and serving related workers, all others typically earn — is $25K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,524/month. At HUD’s $1,202/month FMR, rent would take 79% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is food preparation and serving related workers, all other a high-paying job in Wisconsin?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $31K here vs. $36K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Wisconsin compare to the national average for food preparation and serving related workers, all others?
Wisconsin pays $31K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.33), the purchasing-power equivalent is $33K — below the national median.
How much do food preparation and serving related workers, all others make in Wisconsin?
The median is $31,240 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $25,400, and experienced food preparation and serving related workers, all others can clear $38,940. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $31K enough to live in Wisconsin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,205/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,202/month, which eats 54.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a food preparation and serving related workers, all other salary go in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin has a Regional Price Parity of 94.33 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median food preparation and serving related workers, all other salary is worth about $33,118 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do food preparation and serving related workers, all others get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.