Waitress minimum wage by state varies enormously across the country, from $2.13/hr in most states to the full state minimum wage in states that ban the tip credit entirely. Here's the exact server and waitress tipped minimum wage for every US state.
What Is the Waitress Minimum Wage by State?
The tipped minimum wage is the direct cash wage an employer can pay a tipped employee like a server or bartender, lower than the full minimum wage, as long as tips make up the difference to reach the full rate. Seven states, Alaska, California, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, don't allow this "tip credit" at all and require the full state minimum wage in cash, before tips.
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, a tipped employee is someone who customarily and regularly receives more than $30 a month in tips, a threshold that determines whether the lower tipped minimum wage can legally apply at all.
Server and Waitress Minimum Wage by State (2026)
| State | Full Minimum Wage | Tipped Cash Wage | Max Tip Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $17.13 | $17.13 (no tip credit) | $0.00 |
| Connecticut | $16.94 | $10.71 | $6.23 |
| California | $16.90 | $16.90 (no tip credit) | $0.00 |
| New York | $16.00 | $10.65 | $5.35 |
| Rhode Island | $16.00 | $3.89 | $12.11 |
| New Jersey | $15.49 | $5.62 | $9.87 |
| Oregon | $15.55 | $15.55 (no tip credit) | $0.00 |
| Arizona | $15.15 | $12.15 | $3.00 |
| Massachusetts | $15.00 | $6.75 | $8.25 |
| Delaware | $15.00 | $2.23 | $12.77 |
| Illinois | $15.00 | $9.00 | $6.00 |
| Maryland | $15.00 | $3.63 | $11.37 |
| Missouri | $15.00 | $7.50 | $7.50 |
| Nebraska | $15.00 | $2.13 | $12.87 |
| Colorado | $14.81 | $11.79 | $3.02 |
| Maine | $14.65 | $7.33 | $7.32 |
| Vermont | $14.42 | $7.21 | $7.21 |
| Florida | $14.00 | $10.98 | $3.02 |
| Hawaii | $14.00 | $12.75 | $1.25 |
| Alaska | $13.00 | $13.00 (no tip credit) | $0.00 |
| Virginia | $12.77 | $2.13 | $10.64 |
| Nevada | $12.00 | $12.00 (no tip credit) | $0.00 |
| New Mexico | $12.00 | $3.00 | $9.00 |
| South Dakota | $11.85 | $5.93 | $5.93 |
| Minnesota | $11.41 | $11.41 (no tip credit) | $0.00 |
| Ohio | $11.00 | $5.50 | $5.50 |
| Arkansas | $11.00 | $2.63 | $8.37 |
| Montana | $10.85 | $10.85 (no tip credit) | $0.00 |
| Michigan | $10.56 | $4.01 | $6.55 |
| West Virginia | $8.75 | $2.62 | $6.13 |
| Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Wyoming | $7.25 | $2.13 | $5.12 |
| Pennsylvania | $7.25 | $2.83 | $4.42 |
| Idaho | $7.25 | $3.35 | $3.90 |
| Iowa | $7.25 | $4.35 | $2.90 |
| New Hampshire | $7.25 | $3.27 | $3.98 |
| North Dakota | $7.25 | $4.86 | $2.39 |
| Wisconsin | $7.25 | $2.33 | $4.92 |
Why Does the Tipped Wage Vary So Much Between States?
Each state independently decides both its full minimum wage and whether to allow a tip credit at all, so the two numbers move separately. A high full minimum wage doesn't guarantee a high tipped cash wage: New Jersey's full rate is $15.49/hr but its tipped cash wage is just $5.62/hr, while Alaska's full rate is lower at $13.00/hr but its tipped workers get the entire amount in cash since Alaska bans the tip credit outright. Rates also keep moving during the year rather than only on January 1: Florida is scheduled to rise again to $15.00/hr on September 30, 2026, under its constitutional phase-in schedule, which will lift its tipped cash wage as well.
How the Tip Credit Math Actually Works: Three State Examples
Because the waitress minimum wage by state formula is just full minimum wage minus tip credit, the same shift can pay very differently depending on where a server works. Here's the actual math in three states that sit at different points on that spectrum.
Hawaii: A High Tipped Wage, Small Tip Credit
Hawaii's tip credit is only $1.25/hr, the narrowest of any state that still allows one, so its $12.75/hr tipped cash wage sits close to the $14.00/hr full minimum wage. A server working a 30-hour week is paid 30 × $12.75 = $382.50 in direct wages, just $37.50 short of the $420.00 she'd get at the full minimum wage. It takes only about $1.25/hr in tips, roughly $37.50 for the week, before she's earning more than minimum wage overall.
Texas: The $2.13 Federal Floor
Texas is one of about a dozen states that defaults to the federal tipped minimum wage of $2.13/hr, giving employers the maximum federal tip credit of $5.12/hr against the $7.25/hr federal minimum wage. A server working 40 hours is paid 40 × $2.13 = $85.20 in direct wages. Tips need to average at least $5.12/hr, or $204.80 for the week, to bring total pay up to $290.00, the equivalent of 40 hours at the full $7.25/hr minimum wage.
California: No Tip Credit at All
California bans the tip credit entirely, so a server there is paid the full $16.90/hr minimum wage in cash regardless of tips. A server working 35 hours is guaranteed 35 × $16.90 = $577.50 in wages that week, with tips added completely on top rather than counted toward the minimum wage.
What Happens If Tips Don't Add Up to the Full Minimum Wage?
In every state that allows a tip credit, the employer is legally required to make up the shortfall if a server's direct wages plus tips don't reach the full state minimum wage in a given workweek. This "make-up" obligation is calculated per workweek, not averaged over a longer pay period, so a slow week can't be offset against a busy one.
Using the Texas example above: if that server's actual tips for the week only total $150 instead of the required $204.80, the employer owes the $54.80 difference on top of the $85.20 already paid in direct wages, bringing total pay back up to the full $290.00 minimum wage floor for the week. To use the tip credit at all, the employer also has to tell the employee in advance that a credit is being taken and keep accurate records of hours and tips, since skipping that notice can void the tip credit even in weeks where tips were more than enough to cover the gap.
Does This Apply to Bartenders Too?
Yes. Bartenders are generally treated the same as servers under tipped minimum wage law, as long as they customarily and regularly receive tips. Tip pool structures often differ in practice, with bartenders sometimes pooled separately from servers or with barbacks, but the legal cash wage and credit ceiling are the same regardless of job title.
How Does Tip Pooling Interact With the Tip Credit?
If an employer takes a tip credit, federal law limits any mandatory tip pool to employees who customarily and regularly receive tips themselves, servers, bartenders, bussers, and similar front-of-house roles, so cooks and dishwashers can't be included. An employer that pays the full minimum wage in cash and skips the tip credit has more flexibility and can include back-of-house staff in the pool. Either way, managers, supervisors, and owners can never keep a share of pooled tips, no matter how the wage is structured.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum wage for servers and waiters?
It varies by state, from as low as $2.13/hr in cash (topped up by tips) in most of the country, up to the full state minimum wage in the seven states that ban the tip credit entirely.
Which state has the highest tipped minimum wage?
Washington, California, and Oregon all require the full state minimum wage in cash for tipped workers, with no reduced rate, making their effective tipped minimum wage the highest in the country.
Do servers keep 100% of their tips?
Generally yes, aside from a legal tip pool shared among other tipped employees like bussers and hosts. Managers, supervisors, and owners can never be included in a tip pool under federal law.
How is overtime calculated for tipped servers?
Off the full minimum wage, not the reduced tipped cash wage. See our Florida tipped wage guide for a full overtime example.
What is a tip credit?
It's the portion of a tipped employee's earnings that an employer is legally allowed to count toward the minimum wage, calculated as the full minimum wage minus the tipped cash wage the employer actually pays.
Can restaurants pool tips between servers and kitchen staff?
Only if the employer pays the full minimum wage and doesn't take a tip credit. Once a tip credit is in play, federal law restricts pooling to employees who customarily and regularly receive tips, which excludes kitchen staff.
Does a higher local minimum wage change the tipped rate?
Yes. Where a city or county sets its own higher minimum wage, the tip credit is calculated against that local full minimum wage instead of the statewide one.
Rates like these change at least once a year in most states, so it's worth bookmarking this waitress minimum wage by state guide and checking back. For the official federal rules on tipped employees, see the US Department of Labor's tipped employee guidance. See our deep-dive guides for Florida and New York tipped wage rules, or check any state's current minimum wage.
