Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary
In Wisconsin, hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops earn $28,060 at the median, or about $13.49 an hour. The range runs from $18K at the entry level to $37K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.33), which stretches that salary to about $29,747 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,202/month, about 60.6% 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 $28K get you in Wisconsin?
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What this looks like in Wisconsin
Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop pay in Wisconsin tracks closely to the national median, $28K locally vs. $31K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,202/month, which is 60% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wisconsin
Entry-level hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops (10th percentile) start around $18K. Mid-career wages sit at $28K. Top earners bring in $37K or more, a $20K spread from bottom to top.
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary by metro in Wisconsin
13 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison | $29K | +3% | 860 |
| Kenosha | $29K | +3% | 190 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah | $28K | -0% | 180 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $28K | -0% | 1,960 |
| Eau Claire | $28K | -0% | 220 |
| Appleton | $28K | -1% | 300 |
| Sheboygan | $28K | -1% | 100 |
| Green Bay | $28K | -2% | 390 |
| La Crosse-Onalaska | $27K | -2% | 230 |
| Fond du Lac | $27K | -3% | 70 |
| Wausau | $27K | -3% | 150 |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant | $27K | -4% | 150 |
| Janesville-Beloit | $26K | -6% | 180 |
Showing 1–10 of 13 metros
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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 hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wisconsin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $28K, rent takes 60% 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 $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 Wisconsin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops typically earn — is $18K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,070/month. At HUD’s $1,202/month FMR, rent would take 112% 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 Wisconsin?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $28K locally vs. $31K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Wisconsin compare to the national average for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops?
Wisconsin pays $28K median vs. the U.S. average of $31K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.33), the purchasing-power equivalent is $30K — below the national median.
How much do hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops make in Wisconsin?
The median is $28,060 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $17,830, and experienced hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops can clear $37,440. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $28K enough to live in Wisconsin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,004/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,202/month, which eats 60% 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 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 hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary is worth about $29,747 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.