Food Servers, Nonrestaurant Salary
Food Servers, Nonrestaurants in Eau Claire, WI make a median of $33,570 a year, or about $16.14 an hour. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $38K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.8), which stretches that salary to about $36,175 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,181/month, about 51.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $34K get you in Eau Claire?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Eau Claire’s Regional Price Parity (92.8). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About food servers, nonrestaurants
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What this looks like in Eau Claire
Food servers, nonrestaurant pay in Eau Claire tracks closely to the national median, $34K locally vs. $35K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,181/month, which is 50.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.8 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for food servers, nonrestaurants in metros near Eau Claire, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $35K | $36K |
| Madison | $36K | $37K |
| Green Bay | $35K | $37K |
| La Crosse-Onalaska | $35K | $38K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Eau Claire, WI
Entry-level food servers, nonrestaurants (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $34K. Top earners bring in $38K or more, a $10K spread from bottom to top.
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $39K | +11% | 17,520 |
| California | $39K | +10% | 32,430 |
| Colorado | $39K | +10% | 7,750 |
| Washington | $39K | +10% | 8,050 |
| Alaska | $38K | +8% | 430 |
| Hawaii | $38K | +7% | 880 |
| District of Columbia | $38K | +7% | 1,260 |
| Maine | $38K | +7% | 540 |
| Vermont | $38K | +6% | 780 |
| North Dakota | $37K | +4% | 1,630 |
| Massachusetts | $37K | +4% | 5,830 |
| New Hampshire | $37K | +4% | 1,770 |
| Maryland | $37K | +4% | 6,600 |
| Oregon | $37K | +4% | 4,420 |
| New Jersey | $36K | +3% | 11,400 |
| Nevada | $36K | +2% | 1,820 |
| Minnesota | $36K | +2% | 11,090 |
| Connecticut | $36K | +2% | 5,050 |
| New Mexico | $36K | +1% | 670 |
| Arizona | $35K | +0% | 4,620 |
| Virginia | $35K | -1% | 7,420 |
| Illinois | $35K | -1% | 17,560 |
| Rhode Island | $35K | -1% | 1,020 |
| Wisconsin | $35K | -2% | 6,680 |
| Michigan | $34K | -3% | 7,700 |
| Idaho | $34K | -3% | 930 |
| Florida | $34K | -4% | 19,240 |
| Pennsylvania | $33K | -6% | 13,940 |
| Wyoming | $33K | -6% | 250 |
| Kentucky | $32K | -9% | 3,660 |
| Montana | $32K | -9% | 1,050 |
| South Dakota | $32K | -10% | 160 |
| Missouri | $32K | -10% | 7,490 |
| Indiana | $32K | -10% | 3,900 |
| South Carolina | $32K | -10% | 2,990 |
| Nebraska | $32K | -11% | 3,800 |
| Georgia | $32K | -11% | 4,970 |
| North Carolina | $31K | -11% | 8,820 |
| Delaware | $31K | -11% | 1,010 |
| Tennessee | $31K | -13% | 5,230 |
| Ohio | $30K | -14% | 15,320 |
| West Virginia | $30K | -15% | 460 |
| Utah | $30K | -15% | 2,430 |
| Iowa | $30K | -15% | 5,270 |
| Texas | $29K | -17% | 14,340 |
| Kansas | $29K | -18% | 1,270 |
| Alabama | $29K | -18% | 2,920 |
| Oklahoma | $28K | -19% | 1,760 |
| Arkansas | $28K | -22% | 3,540 |
| Mississippi | $27K | -23% | 1,860 |
| Louisiana | $27K | -23% | 2,380 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track food servers, nonrestaurant salary changes
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Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a food servers, nonrestaurant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Eau Claire?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $34K, rent takes 50.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,181/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 servers, nonrestaurants in Eau Claire?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food servers, nonrestaurants typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,676/month. At HUD’s $1,181/month FMR, rent would take 70% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is food servers, nonrestaurant a high-paying job in Eau Claire?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $34K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Eau Claire compare to the national average for food servers, nonrestaurants?
Eau Claire pays $34K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.8), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do food servers, nonrestaurants make in Eau Claire, WI?
The median is $33,570 a year, that works out to about $16 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,940, and experienced food servers, nonrestaurants can clear $38,130. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $34K enough to live in Eau Claire?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,352/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,181/month, which eats 50.2% 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 servers, nonrestaurant salary go in Eau Claire?
Eau Claire has a Regional Price Parity of 92.8 (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 servers, nonrestaurant salary is worth about $36,175 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do food servers, nonrestaurants 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.