Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary
In Wausau, WI, hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops earn $27,340 at the median, or about $13.14 an hour. The range runs from $19K at the entry level to $38K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.65), which stretches that salary to about $29,509 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,147/month, about 59.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $27K actually covers in Wausau, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Wausau’s Regional Price Parity (92.65). 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 hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops
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What this looks like in Wausau
Pay for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop in Wausau runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $31K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,147/month, which is 58.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.65 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% 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 hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops in metros near Wausau, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $28K | $29K |
| Madison | $29K | $30K |
| Green Bay | $28K | $30K |
| Appleton | $28K | $30K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wausau, WI
Entry-level hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops (10th percentile) start around $19K. Mid-career wages sit at $27K. Top earners bring in $38K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $47K | +51% | 2,650 |
| Oregon | $41K | +31% | 5,740 |
| District of Columbia | $38K | +20% | 2,450 |
| Washington | $37K | +19% | 9,530 |
| Maine | $37K | +18% | 1,460 |
| California | $37K | +17% | 41,100 |
| New York | $36K | +17% | 18,640 |
| Colorado | $36K | +16% | 9,490 |
| Massachusetts | $35K | +12% | 13,540 |
| Maryland | $35K | +12% | 7,390 |
| Arizona | $35K | +11% | 10,710 |
| Connecticut | $34K | +10% | 3,670 |
| New Jersey | $34K | +9% | 9,420 |
| New Hampshire | $34K | +9% | 2,130 |
| Rhode Island | $31K | +1% | N/A |
| Illinois | $31K | +0% | 16,500 |
| Delaware | $31K | +0% | 1,680 |
| Nevada | $31K | -0% | 6,570 |
| Vermont | $31K | -0% | 1,060 |
| Virginia | $30K | -2% | 10,890 |
| South Dakota | $30K | -3% | 630 |
| Alaska | $30K | -3% | 740 |
| Minnesota | $30K | -3% | 7,150 |
| Florida | $30K | -4% | 37,100 |
| Utah | $30K | -5% | 4,950 |
| Pennsylvania | $29K | -7% | 18,020 |
| Missouri | $29K | -7% | 8,510 |
| Michigan | $29K | -7% | 12,620 |
| Montana | $29K | -7% | 1,260 |
| North Dakota | $29K | -8% | 800 |
| New Mexico | $28K | -9% | 2,670 |
| Nebraska | $28K | -9% | 2,830 |
| North Carolina | $28K | -9% | 15,160 |
| Iowa | $28K | -10% | 2,630 |
| Kansas | $28K | -10% | 4,540 |
| Wisconsin | $28K | -10% | 6,430 |
| Georgia | $28K | -11% | 17,300 |
| Ohio | $28K | -12% | 15,480 |
| Tennessee | $27K | -12% | 11,280 |
| Idaho | $27K | -13% | 2,360 |
| Kentucky | $27K | -13% | 5,120 |
| Texas | $27K | -13% | 35,550 |
| South Carolina | $27K | -13% | 7,990 |
| Indiana | $27K | -14% | 9,730 |
| Arkansas | $27K | -14% | 3,110 |
| Alabama | $26K | -16% | 5,400 |
| Oklahoma | $25K | -21% | 5,060 |
| West Virginia | $24K | -22% | 1,580 |
| Wyoming | $23K | -27% | 660 |
| Louisiana | $22K | -29% | 6,440 |
| Mississippi | $22K | -30% | 2,660 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary changes
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wausau?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $27K, rent takes 58.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,147/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops in Wausau?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops typically earn — is $19K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,127/month. At HUD’s $1,147/month FMR, rent would take 102% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop a high-paying job in Wausau?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $27K here vs. $31K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Wausau compare to the national average for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops?
Wausau pays $27K median vs. the U.S. average of $31K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.65), the purchasing-power equivalent is $30K — below the national median.
How much do hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops make in Wausau, WI?
The median is $27,340 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $18,780, and experienced hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops can clear $37,560. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $27K enough to live in Wausau?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,959/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,147/month, which eats 58.6% 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 hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary go in Wausau?
Wausau has a Regional Price Parity of 92.65 (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 hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary is worth about $29,509 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops 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.