Work
National Bartender’s Day: How much do waiters and servers make per hour in the US? Wages with and without tips
National Bartender’s Day on December 6 gives a good a reason as ever to take down the archaic methods the hospitality industry uses to pay its staff.
Discussions surrounding hospitality worker’s pay is always muddled by tips. This practice, which is not common in Europe at all, makes determing the true wage of these workers difficult,
Online jobs site Indeed found that being a ‘server’ - i.e. working in a restaurant or bar - was the third most common job in the United States.
According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median hourly wage for waiters and waitresses was $15.36 in May 2023. The median annual wage for waiters and waitresses was $31,940 in 2023. This figure includes both base pay and tips.
However the exact figures vary greatly depending on the employee’s experience and the part of the country where the job is.
As a general rule, areas with wealthier customers are able to charge more for goods and services and are more likely to pay their staff more. For example, servers in Vermont receive the highest average salary at $60,200 per year, while Alabama has the lowest average at $22,690 per year.
Another factor is race and gender. Researchers at Berkeley University found that women of color in California’s restaurant industry earn $10.13 per hour, while white men earn $14.18.
Why do tips exist in the US?
The existence of tipping in the restaurant industry is deeply rooted in American culture, but its continuation raises significant concerns about worker exploitation and income inequality. It has evolved into a system that allows employers to pay subminimum wages, effectively shifting the responsibility of compensating workers onto customers.
The tipping system enables employers to pay servers as little as $2.13 per hour under federal law, relying on customers to make up the difference. Reliance on tips can make servers vulnerable to sexual harassment, with 78% of waitresses reporting harassment from customers.
In 2016, the Department of Labor found that the food services industry owed $39 million in back wages due to labor law violations. All of this combined, coupled with restaurants thriving in countries without tipping culture, shows the practice to be totally outdated.
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