SOC 35-1012 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — La Crosse
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN · 10 metro areas compared
In La Crosse, WI the median wage is $38,460.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +6.0%
- Openings per year
- 183,900
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
In La Crosse, WI the median wage is $38,460. That is 12.7% lower than the national median of $44,080. Pay ranges from under $30,330 at the tenth percentile to more than $60,220 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $34,960 to $48,980.
The area has 660 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.99 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Within the state, Madison records the highest median at $46,060. Of the 311 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 258th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $30,330 | −31.2% |
| 25th | $34,960 | −20.7% |
| Median (50th) | $38,460 | −12.7% |
| 75th | $48,980 | +11.1% |
| 90th | $60,220 | +36.6% |
| Mean | $42,970 | −2.5% |
Other metro areas in Wisconsin
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Madison | $46,060 | 2,720 | |
| 2 | Milwaukee | $40,080 | 6,030 | |
| 3 | Sheboygan | $38,770 | 410 | |
| 4 | Kenosha | $38,760 | 580 | |
| 5 | Appleton | $38,500 | 920 | |
| 6 | Green Bay | $38,280 | 1,220 | |
| 7 | Racine | $38,130 | 590 | |
| 8 | Eau Claire | $37,920 | 680 | |
| 9 | Oshkosh | $37,850 | 580 | |
| 10 | Janesville | $37,690 | 590 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in La Crosse run 8.2% below the national average, so the median of $38,460 goes as far as $41,895 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 5.0% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$38,460as reported by BLSLocal price level
91.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$41,895US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $38,460 a year, 12.7% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $30,330 to $60,220 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 660 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Madison, at $46,060.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers in La Crosse, WI?
The median annual wage is $38,460, or $18.49 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $44,080, so pay in La Crosse, WI is 12.7% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in La Crosse, WI earns more than $60,220 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $30,330 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Madison, at $46,060 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 660 jobs in this occupation in La Crosse, WI. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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