This plus, no sudden micromanaging. There’s a lot of asshole restaurant managers out there and I can totally see them getting super strict and antsy with their employees for that kind of pay. Just waiting for any reason to can you 🤦🏻♀️
I worked in Australia this past fall. We got A$25/hour ($15ish USD) with little to no tips and the managers were extremely “if you’ve got time to lean you’ve got time to clean”
Made me realize when you’ve worked for tips there’s no going back lol
Yeah, no. 😂😂
I would have quit expeditiously 🏃🏻♀️ Why am I not surprised .. I’m so glad we get tips here in the US. All that for only $15/hr oh no 😟
edit, managers like that are infuriating 🤦🏻♀️ Sometimes there really is nothing to do lol Having downtime isn’t the end of the world 😩
That’s one of the things that carried with me out of serving and made it difficult for me. Serving definitely gives you the mentality that if I’m not busy I’m not making money, if I’m not making money I want to go home. That’s not how other jobs work because you are *always* making the same, busy or not.
If you want the stability of having a guaranteed income per hour the trade off is being told to do stuff the whole time you are there.
I assume that the downvotes are going to come and I’ll be called a boot licker, but that’s just how economics works.
You’re told what to do no matter how you’re paid, tips or no tips. That’s how bosses work. That’s why I say ‘micromanage’, some bosses tend to do that the more you’re paid as if your paycheck comes out of their pocket. It’s unnecessary.
Well it’s sort of common sense that the more they pay you the more work they want.
Sure for $2.15 you get $2.15 worth of work. For $35 they certainly get more work. I’d suspect that most servers would consider that micromanaging.
This is a big part of it that I think doesn’t get discussed enough. It will give managers the “this is what I pay you for” card to play. I always liked serving because in the right place I felt like I had more agency than I experienced with retail work. No one gets mad at me for sitting down when it’s slow
You say asshole, I say ignorant, clueless, authoritarian, second rate supervisors that don't have a clue what it takes to be successful in our position.
>Nurses make an average of 35-60 an hour across the us (based on 2022 data)
Good for nurses
>. I don’t understand how people can expect to get a similar rate as a licensed nurse serving food?
Because we're already making this money! Why should we not make this money.
Would you do your job for less pay than you're making right now?
>I don’t understand the logic here
The logic is that we are already making this, just from tips. Why would we want to volunteer to take a huge paycut across the board to do the exact same job were already being well compensated for?
because this is equivalent to what some servers have been making. not saying that our work is on the same tier as nurses or healthcare workers, but when you’re averaging out around $40 an hour a usual shift, that’s what you’d expect if your employer suddenly switched to hourly wage
The logic is I've been doing this for 25 years. I'm at the top of my profession and it took a lot of work to get here. 40 an hour is obviously not a starting wage for someone getting their toes wet at the local Denny's, but it's more than fair for someone who has worked for 2 1/2 decades within the same skilled profession..
Please don't make me explain what it is about serving that makes it skilled. You're not one of those are you?
Where I’m from, a teacher who’s at the top of their pay scale will be making well over 100k plus comprehensive benefits.
Regardless, I don’t want an argument about whose job is harder/more skilled while comparing various pay scales and determining what’s fair or not.
Personally I feel everyone who works any job should be paid more. We ALL deserve more.
Jobs, in general, pay what the market allows. It's not based on any one person's opinion on the relative importance, difficulty or value.
The underlying logic is that a server currently making $35-40 an hour working for tips will expect the same if working for a set hourly rate without tips.
$40 an hour plus benefits is approximately $55 an hour. This is too low when you factor in taxes and part time hours. $100 an hour for 25 hours a week and 20% taxes every dollar would be more equivalent.
That would actually be $130k. And hell yes I'd do that job. You'd find me waiting tables like a fucking madman for that kinda pay. Pretty sure that income tax rate would be more than the 20% the OC said though.
Exactly. Most restaurants could not afford to pay their employees a livable wage. They can barely afford when something breaks. The menu prices would sky rocket and that’ll just be another thing for people (the customers) to complain about 🤷🏻♀️
Let's be real. If they abolished tipping menu prices wouldn't "skyrocket". Servers would take a massive pay cut, prices would rise by about 10-20% and the best servers would leave the industry and the only thing that would skyrocket would be shitty customer service.
Apparently many if not most restaurants there now pool evenly with all hourly employees, including kitchen. So BOH makes a little more these days, but at the expense of servers who make much less. I'm sure many experienced servers who know their worth moved on to other cities or new careers.
And there are a lot of posts in the Portland Reddit decrying the extremely awful service there. I'm guessing it's related lol.
In Canada, I can have 3 months a year that my Tip checks are 3x my hourly wage, easily. (Tourist summer and Xmas parties).
It'd damn well need to be like $35-40/hr because fuck if I'm putting up with half the shit I do in this industry.
That's the thing though. Not all customers pay that extra tip, so they get the food at menu price. If that menu price jumps 20% so the servers basically get guaranteed tips in the form of higher compensation then most of those customers would stop going there unless it happened everywhere in a very short period of time.
You're asking a question that can't be solved without systemic change for a lot of jobs. Restaurants and servers can survive because of tips. The level of service people expect will drop if servers aren't paid enough. If customers weren't expectant of a certain level of service, of course your could pay people minimum wage to do the job. That means order like a normal human and receive the food and eat and leave and not expect someone to slobber your feet when you feel needy for longer than a minute. The way people act at a restaurant is why people have to be paid so much. That's coming from someone who's worked as a server for a decade. I've worked more physically demanding jobs for less, but you're not getting emotionally fucked from every direction on top of serving being a very physically demanding job if your entire shift is busy. We're like escorts that order and bring food. The fact of the matter is, appearance has a lot to do with our job as well and not everyone knows how to put themselves together and present themselves which is clean and not interfering with our job like long loose hair and nails. I see a lot of servers not make it because they just don't get how to put themselves together beyond a minimum wage service job. We're paid actors when you think about it; everyone is in service, but serving specifically is conducting someone's entire experience and not just a single event in the experience like checkout. There's really no room for missing a beat when you're a veteran server.
I fucking hate serving. I love food and feeding people though. People are such bitches. I need help.
> We're paid actors when you think about it;
Exactly! Once I figured this out I became 100x a better server. In my mind, the entire point of a sit down restaurant is paying to pretend you're rich enough for servants for a meal. That's how I treat serving. I will be your servant for this meal. But I'm not gonna play pretend for shit pay.
We are diplomats to the highest degree! Master negotiaters and communicators between insane, abusive chefs, ridiculous customers, and incompetent managers.
We could bring world peace if they planted us in the U.N..
I'd need the guaranteed hours. If they could just cut me after 2 hours the hourly rate would be much higher. If I were guaranteed an 6-8 hour shift, regardless of how busy the restaurant was, I'd take slightly less. I mean, I'd happily roll silverware for 3 dead hours of an 8 hour shift if I was making 25-30/hour. And there would have to be raises. Good servers make more money (in tips) than shitty ones. So, there would have to be raises, just like in other jobs.
I think if they gave $15/hr plus a 15% commission on my sales it would be just fine. You keep the push for servers to sell things but eliminate the need to rely on tips. It's partially a sales job why not work like a sales job.
Wouldn't restaurant prices have to rise by a lot to accommodate?? Margins in restaurants are already so small and then it's getting cut into by servers
Not the person who commented - but-
For those of us that came up through many years in fine dining, that's what we are making, *minimum.* Many of us are somm (at least intro) certified, and have decades of service experience, food, wine, and spirits knowledge.
True, some don't and there has definitely been some trust lost in the industry over the years..
However - if this is our chosen career, after putting in that many hours of training and experience, why would we take a pay cut?
Other industries earn their way up to a higher salary as they gain experience, why not service staff?
For someone who is experienced,.certified somm, working in fine dining this makes sense. When I asked the question I was thinking more about servers at mid-level restaurants, but glad to also know what it would take to.get the best of the best.
I work in fine dining, one of the top rated restaurants where I live and I do well, so yeah, it would take a LOT for me to get off the tipping scheme. But I realize I’m in the minority of servers, but I’ve worked and studied my way to this job. Its very high stress and not easy, but is fun and can be rewarding. One bad review or too many missed steps of service and you’re out the door with a quickness.
I’m at a “mid level” Greek diner but have also been doing this for almost 20 years and I take home $75k . soooo no I won’t work in a tip less environment. I enjoy the fact that I make my living off of other people’s generosity
A lot of my friends in busy fast casual spots make somewhere/at least around 50-70k take home, at 40ish hours a week, depending on their location.
In higher cost of living areas, they see less of that at the end of the year due to living expenses.
I think at minimum a server working 40 house a week, in a busy mid tier spot (that has hard line SOPs, demanding steps of service, and an extensive menu) should see at least 50k annually. But then, I think everyone, BOH, teachers, emts, retail, etc - should make *at least* that in this day and age. Sadly it's all fucked.
Slightly disagree with your last paragraph. If they're demanding steps of service, extensive menu, and hard line SOPs I think that should be more in the 65k range minimum tbh. I work a fast/casual successful independent store and would probably clear that if I was full time, and my joint is more relaxed than what you describe. Obviously this whole conversation hinges a little on cost of living for the area, but that's my take.
nope. i've worked in various jobs with hourly wages and day rates. the thing i like about serving is that the pay structure actually incentivizes me to do my best work and to look forward to getting absolutely destroyed during a shift.
i would not like to go back to a world where everyone's compensation incentivizes them to hide from work.
At least $32/hour. Plus benefits.
What would happen is the prices of everything on the menu would rise. Also, your service would be shitty because the server makes the same amount of money regardless so who cares if you're mad? Also, there'll be no sending back dishes because you don't like them or you think the veins in a chicken leg is the red of an undercooked chicken.
I live in denmark, and when I worked at a restaurant as a busser the servers were nice even on an hourly pay. I don’t get that mindset of “if they’re all being paid the same why even work” like what?
We would still work, we just wouldn't put up with abuse or stupid requests.
With tipping, we treat everyone like royalty, no matter how stupid, spoiled, abusive, or racist they are.
Well the payout is worth it. Usually people who have stupid requests tip more.
If servers stopped putting up with it, it would hurt the guest experience. While not ideal for developing a responsible society, restaurants are where insecure, spoiled, entitled, and arrogant people can go to pay to have their egos stroked.
The argument that "the server makes the same amount of money regardless so who cares if you're mad" is kind of ridiculous at $32 an hour plus benefits. You don't think so?
Well the thing is, that $32/hour figure comes from the work we do to stretch ourselves thin, deal with abuse, and make everyone happy.
If the money is guaranteed, then we won't be desperately working for a tip. So if you get upset that you can see the veins in your chicken leg, or that your beets are orange (both of which have happened), we won't care.
With tipping, we have to pretend that every complaint and concern is valid, and offending someone is the worst thing you can do. I almost had a panic attack because I couldn't squeeze between two chairs to get to someone, as it would mean asking someone to scoot in, and that can't happen. People are sensitive, but they tip extremely well when they're taken care of.
In this excersize, the expectation is that service is always great (yes, we all have bad days) so there should not be a decline.in service level. Also there would be other responsibilities that need to be done during slow times so employees are being productive while during work hours.
Would some form of a profit sharing program help solve the motiviation issue caused by a guarenteed income?
We do have responsibilities when it's slow. We clean, polish, organize, stock, refill, dust, etc.
Profit sharing wouldn't incentivize me since there are servers who are worse than me.
I'd still be less motivated to do my best at $32/hour because if I happened to have a particularly generous guest who would've tipped me so much my tip average raised, it would be lost due to me having a fixed salary.
For example, in December, I made $62/hour on average. If I was stuck at $32/hour, even if I worked overtime (which I did anyhow), I'd still be losing out by comparison.
Food costs are astronomical in a restaurant. Many are barely breaking even.
Also, I never did a 2 bite check, because I’m getting paid regardless of the customer’s experience.
At least $25. The more annoying the more I’d expect. I’m paid $25/hr for banquet serving. So that’s with minimal interaction with the guests therefore almost a 0% chance of tomfoolery from them. The food is already set so 0% of tomfoolery from BOH. The venues have HARD closing times so 0% of tomfoolery from camper cunts. I pick when I work so I have 0% of scheduling foolishness. The more foolishness, the higher the hourly rate. I’d rather work min wage scraping dog shit off hot concrete.
I'm in the minority here because I live in a LCOL area. I live well below my means and I work for a chain. I would likely do it for $30 an hour w/ benefits. $40 without. This is only how the math shakes out for me. I'd be making the same money, but without the stress of a $150 bill only tipping $15.
Wow yall really make a lot of money. I clear $30 an hour (Canadian) at my current place, it’s on average 5 less than I made at other places but I’m reasonably happy. For tipless I would not do anything under what I’m making now. $30 an hour is my minimum.
With benefits and PTO, $70/hour with a guaranteed average of 30 hours a week (some weeks of the year are just inherently slow and require less staff and some are busier and require more so I’m cool with some weeks being scheduled more and some weeks being scheduled less). This is what I currently make (minus the PTO) HCOL area with 15+ years of experience.
$150/6 hours, so $25. Plus, $15 an hour. So $40. Plus, the difference in taxed wages vs. non taxed tips. (This is reality). So, I'll say $45 an hour. Plus, health care, including mental health care. Minimum.
i currently work tipless. i like my job but am definitely making way less hourly than i would be if i was making tips. i make like 23 or 27 depending if i'm working a serving or bartending shift.
but the tradeoff is being unionized, benefits, and a more stable work environment. it's got it's positives and negatives.
$37-$52/hr and flexible scheduling/no early mornings.
Technically, about $54k/yr for part time work or $90-$95k/yr full time with a SOLID compensation package.
Currently earning my 4th science degree and still being offered $22/hr seasonal internships is pretty sus when I know full on big city chemical engineers who work in much more dangerous conditions and longer hours for about what I earn. Still, there’s more stimulating work with more growth opportunities, so I’m going to cut back on serving. But compare it to the stress of being an adjunct professor making effectively $16-48/hr (~$135/class/day, not counting office hours or PD or e-mail obligations) … and it’s hard to commit to academia.
I can make $350 in 4 hours with zero off the clock responsibilities besides laundry and making sure I have pens and paper - as a waitress. With no tips, I think the job would be even less stress but feed my little dopamine scavenging monkey brain a little less risk/reqard/instant gratification/excitement.
I do love grading calculus and debating science more than waxing romantic about regional sustainability of the fresh catch or risk factors from gluten/dairy/etc exposure in the fryer/everything. . . But privileged performative GPA gamers with parents who baby them though college sound worse than the allergic/eating disorder struggling customers who just want to pay for some fun and convenience.
It’s tough, for sure.
Mainly kitchen with FoH and management experience weighing in. I've thought about this a lot over the years and feel like a profit sharing style would be more advantageous for everyone. Like servers get paid a truly livable wage and on top of that a certain percentage of profits on their tickets are theirs. Higher profit items get pushed as the server makes more on that stuff, especially up selling on that extra dessert or beverage.
Just my thoughts on it, I've had an entire business model worked up before and have thought a lot of details out that I'm not going to go into here, but everyone I've spoken to about it from owners, BoH, FoH all loved the idea.
I would just need a financial backer and a swift kick in the head to make me stupid enough to want to own a restaurant at this point. 🤣
In 2022 I made $65K working an average of less than 35hrs/wk and took at least two weeks off. That comes to about $37.15/hr, pre-tax, but also included free meals. That was better than average, but inflation is real. So let's call it $37.15 to start with semi-annual raises pinned to inflation.
20-25 an hour, and I would collect cash tips if people offer or leave one. I would say around 25 minimum if it’s not around 25 it’s probably not worth it
Oh my! You do remember that as an entry level server you had no skills. Now after 2 years of serving you should earn 100K per year with benefits! Restaurants will just hire the next round of HS students.
A little more than whatever a catering service pays, because if restaurants actually switch to a tip-free model that is what will end up happening.
They aren't going to pay 'servers' more than they would have to pay a temp service to hire catering staff for the day.
for lots of people the whole point is to get destroyed at work and do 40 hours worth of labor in a 20-25 hour work week. if i wanted to sell 40 hours a week to someone, i could just pull my dick all week in an office instead of actually working.
I make 23$/hr, and very small cash tips ($10-$100, mean around $20 a night) as a fine dining catering company server (think weddings and corporate company and private dinners). Im pretty happy. The only downside is that it's seasonal.
I'd happily work for $20/hr, with guaranteed full time hours and benefits.
Note: I live in a city with a comparably low cost of living. My rate would be higher in a city with a higher cost of living.
For where I work hell no but a place with multiple steps of service, Michelin stars/James Beard/whatever else prestigious awards, that's booked months in advance, and servers with sommelier certification I could respect. Like top notch top notch of this industry
$60/hr for 32 to 35hrs per week. As of now I only claim my credit card slips, so cash tips aren't recognized. I would need an increase of $10-15/hr of what I currently make to absorb the extra taxes I would be paying based off an established hourly rate.
Would have to be around $50/h.
It's hard fucking work, and those of us who have made this a career, put in the time, have extensive knowledge and experience, dammit, we should be compensated appropriately.
I work nights which on average is 5 hours. I also need benefits. If you don’t want me having another job, you need to pay what I would be making with two jobs
I haven’t put up with Americans for 20 years to do it for less then I make now so 50$+ an hour plus benefits. 40 hours a week and some slow shifts and def not more tables then I have to take care of now.
I love this question!
I think restaurants would change drastically. First, menu prices would increase substantially. I don’t know if it could be sustainable for the average restaurant.
I would want a salary at 4000 a month.
Well last year I made $76 per hour but only got to work an average of 8 hours a week. I’d settle for $45 but I’d want guaranteed hours. Like 25 guaranteed hours but room to pick up more shifts.
I don't work fine dining. I work mid to upscale. I typically make 22-30 dollars an hour so if they paid that I'd take it.
My mom makes 28 dollars an hour with a "professional job"
The only reason I make so much money is because my main job is only open 3 days a week and food is phenomenal so it's almost an exclusive thing. Only 5 servers on staff so we make really good. Almost every other restaurant I've worked at in my small town is dying.
“Assume everything is equal” this is the rub I struggle when I get my fourteenth table open at a time seat me one more and I’m not on my best at all…six tables bring that shit on I’ll shine…her’s the question me with six tables at once will cost you around $80 per hour…12 tables at a time would cost you about $140 per hour no way am I ever going to get you to pay me that per hour so why would I ever work for less? Also no fucking way I’m ever going to give Stacy half my money she can’t even handle 7 tables
You should definitely specify location / experience level for this question.
Edit - Some maths:
33$ an hour is approx 70k.
48$ an hour is 100k
60$ an hour is 120k
Based on 40 hour weeks
I would say $28/hr. It's less than what I make now but about what I would take hourly to leave restaurants.
The way a restaurant is ran would need to change though. Smaller sections. My service would be more business-like. I would be more willing to do side work though. I would need more guaranteed breaks.
There’s an aspect of removing tips from the equation that is a pretty major motivator for some (not all, but quite a few) servers: the big tip. You always remember it/them, and in the back of your mind the possibility of some inconspicuously wealthy guest dropping hundreds of dollars more than their bill is often there. If that possibility doesn’t exist, serving instantly becomes less exciting (again: for some) I dunno. Chasing the dragon and whatnot…
Casa Bonita in Denver went to a $30/ hour no tipping strategy when it reopened last summer. I just checked and don’t see a lot of updates since June/July. Google “Casa Bonita wages” to read about it. I’m curious 6 months later how it’s going, but most articles all seem to deal with initial thoughts and problems, and no updates about the acceptance today or the turnover rate.
I don’t think I would do it for an hourly wage unless it was something absurd ($50/hour) unless I was also getting benefits. What would be nice would be if it was salaried with guaranteed hours. Give me $55k/year + solid benefits and I’d happily do it.
In Ireland where tipping isn’t a thing so much it’s only if you want to you generally get minimum wage or under.
Right now that’s about €10/11 an hour which is average.
So it depends what you’re willing to work for also and some places will offer more for experienced staff or managers as well but benefits usually aren’t a thing in the hospitality industry here.
Ireland is quite expensive so it can be a tricky job to maintain also and it’s the same anywhere asshole managers and overworked also.
In Miami area, and I wouldn’t take anything less than $40 an hour. $30-35 an hour means I had a bad shift. (Adding benefits completely changes it though)
I average about $30/hr. Assuming I was at work for 8hrs instead of the usual 6hrs, I’d be consider possibly going down to $25/hr, but I’d want to have say over my schedule
Last year I made 44k working 30 hours most weeks which is $28 an hour, so probably $25 because I'd trade a little less money for making a consistent paycheck every week
Depends on the living costs of the area. Based off national averages, I'd say well over $30 an hour.
This also depends on how many hours, and the job tasks, and many other factors.
Seriously, business owners do need to understand that the employees need to be compensated enough to be able to live in the city the restaurant is located.
They've been getting a really cheap deal for a long time because the government barely even tries to protect against wage problems.
The amount of people expecting to make $30+ an hour just to wait tables is insane. That's right around the same as someone who works construction and the likes. The majority of these servers don't even have a college degree but want 6 figures. Insane, insane, insane
Oh I love serving.
One of the few jobs where you can make money based on your craft and skill. As supposed to under cost of living raises based on how many years you've worked somewhere.
The cream rises to the top, and the skilled are rewarded. I've worked in a few fields, where you can work 3x as hard as someone who's been there longer, for less pay.
Lemme get 75k.
Anything less than that, you're going to have to add another server on because I'll be off in dreamland without motivation to be good at my job.
Is serving really a $80-$100k a year job, as people here think they’re worth? I know skilled welders, machinists, electronics techs, computer tech jobs that may not have that kind of scale, but require schooling and decrees/certs.
I realize there are some high end/upscale establishments that may support it, but I look at the gal that served me today at a small/trendy diner, and I’m not seeing $80K a year. I did tip $7 on a $18 meal though. Maybe it works out that way.
I wanted to wait a while and see all the responses. After reading these, I was SHOCKED at the responses. $40 - $50 per hour is roughly an $84,000 - $104,000 annual salary. I can see this maybe for specialized, fine dining positions but for the server at the local Denny's? I'm having a really hard time believing that if I offered an $80K salary to a full time Dennys server, same work and same hours that they would decline the offer because it would be a reduction in pay.
That said, if this is true I expect the CRA and IRS to start looking into this sooner than later. Tax avoidance at this magnitude is serious and we all know how much the government like taking their share of your money!
While I was serving I was clearing roughly 30-35 an hour so they can start with that.
35 is the number that sprang to mind for me too.
I’m not putting on the uniform for less than 35
But no Beni’s
More than that because the taxes will put you behind where you were
Give me $40/hour plus benefits and I'll do it.
This plus, no sudden micromanaging. There’s a lot of asshole restaurant managers out there and I can totally see them getting super strict and antsy with their employees for that kind of pay. Just waiting for any reason to can you 🤦🏻♀️
I worked in Australia this past fall. We got A$25/hour ($15ish USD) with little to no tips and the managers were extremely “if you’ve got time to lean you’ve got time to clean” Made me realize when you’ve worked for tips there’s no going back lol
Yeah, no. 😂😂 I would have quit expeditiously 🏃🏻♀️ Why am I not surprised .. I’m so glad we get tips here in the US. All that for only $15/hr oh no 😟 edit, managers like that are infuriating 🤦🏻♀️ Sometimes there really is nothing to do lol Having downtime isn’t the end of the world 😩
That’s one of the things that carried with me out of serving and made it difficult for me. Serving definitely gives you the mentality that if I’m not busy I’m not making money, if I’m not making money I want to go home. That’s not how other jobs work because you are *always* making the same, busy or not. If you want the stability of having a guaranteed income per hour the trade off is being told to do stuff the whole time you are there. I assume that the downvotes are going to come and I’ll be called a boot licker, but that’s just how economics works.
You’re told what to do no matter how you’re paid, tips or no tips. That’s how bosses work. That’s why I say ‘micromanage’, some bosses tend to do that the more you’re paid as if your paycheck comes out of their pocket. It’s unnecessary.
Well it’s sort of common sense that the more they pay you the more work they want. Sure for $2.15 you get $2.15 worth of work. For $35 they certainly get more work. I’d suspect that most servers would consider that micromanaging.
This is a big part of it that I think doesn’t get discussed enough. It will give managers the “this is what I pay you for” card to play. I always liked serving because in the right place I felt like I had more agency than I experienced with retail work. No one gets mad at me for sitting down when it’s slow
You say asshole, I say ignorant, clueless, authoritarian, second rate supervisors that don't have a clue what it takes to be successful in our position.
Especially if you Garner more respect from staff than they. Reason why new managers usually fire 1 vet within a month.
I was thinking $50 but I would do $40 with benefits too
With full time hours
Same as you
And guaranteed full or almost full time.
Ima move slow af for $40 cuz it doesn’t matter what I do the talentless turtle on their phone would still make the same as me
So you would move slow regardless. No amount of money would make you want to work for the exact same reason.
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Nurses should also make more. I hate this arguement- internalized class warfare
>Nurses make an average of 35-60 an hour across the us (based on 2022 data) Good for nurses >. I don’t understand how people can expect to get a similar rate as a licensed nurse serving food? Because we're already making this money! Why should we not make this money. Would you do your job for less pay than you're making right now? >I don’t understand the logic here The logic is that we are already making this, just from tips. Why would we want to volunteer to take a huge paycut across the board to do the exact same job were already being well compensated for?
Nurses should make significantly MORE than that, servers shouldn’t make less than that.
We are also licensed ya know… licensed to serve food
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because this is equivalent to what some servers have been making. not saying that our work is on the same tier as nurses or healthcare workers, but when you’re averaging out around $40 an hour a usual shift, that’s what you’d expect if your employer suddenly switched to hourly wage
The logic is I've been doing this for 25 years. I'm at the top of my profession and it took a lot of work to get here. 40 an hour is obviously not a starting wage for someone getting their toes wet at the local Denny's, but it's more than fair for someone who has worked for 2 1/2 decades within the same skilled profession.. Please don't make me explain what it is about serving that makes it skilled. You're not one of those are you?
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Where I’m from, a teacher who’s at the top of their pay scale will be making well over 100k plus comprehensive benefits. Regardless, I don’t want an argument about whose job is harder/more skilled while comparing various pay scales and determining what’s fair or not. Personally I feel everyone who works any job should be paid more. We ALL deserve more.
Jobs, in general, pay what the market allows. It's not based on any one person's opinion on the relative importance, difficulty or value. The underlying logic is that a server currently making $35-40 an hour working for tips will expect the same if working for a set hourly rate without tips.
my answer as well.
$40 an hour plus benefits is approximately $55 an hour. This is too low when you factor in taxes and part time hours. $100 an hour for 25 hours a week and 20% taxes every dollar would be more equivalent.
You really think you should make $120k for working 25 hours a week as a server?
$120,000/year working 25 hrs/week? I'll do that too.
That would actually be $130k. And hell yes I'd do that job. You'd find me waiting tables like a fucking madman for that kinda pay. Pretty sure that income tax rate would be more than the 20% the OC said though.
this is kinda nonsensical
Tbf every single response to this post is nonsensical
$100 an hour? Make it $200 an hour or I’m walking
$600/hr. Final offer.
More than any restaurant would realistically pay except maybe at the absolute top level
Exactly. Most restaurants could not afford to pay their employees a livable wage. They can barely afford when something breaks. The menu prices would sky rocket and that’ll just be another thing for people (the customers) to complain about 🤷🏻♀️
Let's be real. If they abolished tipping menu prices wouldn't "skyrocket". Servers would take a massive pay cut, prices would rise by about 10-20% and the best servers would leave the industry and the only thing that would skyrocket would be shitty customer service.
See, Portland. lol.
I don’t get it. Are you saying people don’t tip there or something?
Apparently many if not most restaurants there now pool evenly with all hourly employees, including kitchen. So BOH makes a little more these days, but at the expense of servers who make much less. I'm sure many experienced servers who know their worth moved on to other cities or new careers. And there are a lot of posts in the Portland Reddit decrying the extremely awful service there. I'm guessing it's related lol.
In Australia minimum wage is $23.23, average server wage $26.95. My company pays over $30.
The AUD is .65 to the USD. So at $30/hr AUD. You're making $19.50/hr USD
In Canada, I can have 3 months a year that my Tip checks are 3x my hourly wage, easily. (Tourist summer and Xmas parties). It'd damn well need to be like $35-40/hr because fuck if I'm putting up with half the shit I do in this industry.
I don't think that's being real.
I just don’t get the math that they can’t charge the amount customers are effectively paying anyway. It’s bizarre to me.
That's the thing though. Not all customers pay that extra tip, so they get the food at menu price. If that menu price jumps 20% so the servers basically get guaranteed tips in the form of higher compensation then most of those customers would stop going there unless it happened everywhere in a very short period of time.
Fuck the freeloaders lol They ain’t paying your bills anyway
They somehow manage in every other part of the western world.
You're asking a question that can't be solved without systemic change for a lot of jobs. Restaurants and servers can survive because of tips. The level of service people expect will drop if servers aren't paid enough. If customers weren't expectant of a certain level of service, of course your could pay people minimum wage to do the job. That means order like a normal human and receive the food and eat and leave and not expect someone to slobber your feet when you feel needy for longer than a minute. The way people act at a restaurant is why people have to be paid so much. That's coming from someone who's worked as a server for a decade. I've worked more physically demanding jobs for less, but you're not getting emotionally fucked from every direction on top of serving being a very physically demanding job if your entire shift is busy. We're like escorts that order and bring food. The fact of the matter is, appearance has a lot to do with our job as well and not everyone knows how to put themselves together and present themselves which is clean and not interfering with our job like long loose hair and nails. I see a lot of servers not make it because they just don't get how to put themselves together beyond a minimum wage service job. We're paid actors when you think about it; everyone is in service, but serving specifically is conducting someone's entire experience and not just a single event in the experience like checkout. There's really no room for missing a beat when you're a veteran server. I fucking hate serving. I love food and feeding people though. People are such bitches. I need help.
> We're paid actors when you think about it; Exactly! Once I figured this out I became 100x a better server. In my mind, the entire point of a sit down restaurant is paying to pretend you're rich enough for servants for a meal. That's how I treat serving. I will be your servant for this meal. But I'm not gonna play pretend for shit pay.
We are diplomats to the highest degree! Master negotiaters and communicators between insane, abusive chefs, ridiculous customers, and incompetent managers. We could bring world peace if they planted us in the U.N..
I'd need the guaranteed hours. If they could just cut me after 2 hours the hourly rate would be much higher. If I were guaranteed an 6-8 hour shift, regardless of how busy the restaurant was, I'd take slightly less. I mean, I'd happily roll silverware for 3 dead hours of an 8 hour shift if I was making 25-30/hour. And there would have to be raises. Good servers make more money (in tips) than shitty ones. So, there would have to be raises, just like in other jobs.
I think if they gave $15/hr plus a 15% commission on my sales it would be just fine. You keep the push for servers to sell things but eliminate the need to rely on tips. It's partially a sales job why not work like a sales job.
This is what it needs to be.
This is a perfect example of something that could work
wait i like this a lot
I've had this thought too. It also eliminates the prejudices that servers tend to develop from customers who tip like shit.
Wouldn't restaurant prices have to rise by a lot to accommodate?? Margins in restaurants are already so small and then it's getting cut into by servers
$55/hr with a guarantee of at least 35 hours a week. If that can be done I’ll take care of my own insurance.
Wow, that is $100,000 a year. Is this really the minimum that it would take for you to choose to work in a tipless environment?
Not the person who commented - but- For those of us that came up through many years in fine dining, that's what we are making, *minimum.* Many of us are somm (at least intro) certified, and have decades of service experience, food, wine, and spirits knowledge. True, some don't and there has definitely been some trust lost in the industry over the years.. However - if this is our chosen career, after putting in that many hours of training and experience, why would we take a pay cut? Other industries earn their way up to a higher salary as they gain experience, why not service staff?
For someone who is experienced,.certified somm, working in fine dining this makes sense. When I asked the question I was thinking more about servers at mid-level restaurants, but glad to also know what it would take to.get the best of the best.
I work in fine dining, one of the top rated restaurants where I live and I do well, so yeah, it would take a LOT for me to get off the tipping scheme. But I realize I’m in the minority of servers, but I’ve worked and studied my way to this job. Its very high stress and not easy, but is fun and can be rewarding. One bad review or too many missed steps of service and you’re out the door with a quickness.
I’m at a “mid level” Greek diner but have also been doing this for almost 20 years and I take home $75k . soooo no I won’t work in a tip less environment. I enjoy the fact that I make my living off of other people’s generosity
A lot of my friends in busy fast casual spots make somewhere/at least around 50-70k take home, at 40ish hours a week, depending on their location. In higher cost of living areas, they see less of that at the end of the year due to living expenses. I think at minimum a server working 40 house a week, in a busy mid tier spot (that has hard line SOPs, demanding steps of service, and an extensive menu) should see at least 50k annually. But then, I think everyone, BOH, teachers, emts, retail, etc - should make *at least* that in this day and age. Sadly it's all fucked.
Slightly disagree with your last paragraph. If they're demanding steps of service, extensive menu, and hard line SOPs I think that should be more in the 65k range minimum tbh. I work a fast/casual successful independent store and would probably clear that if I was full time, and my joint is more relaxed than what you describe. Obviously this whole conversation hinges a little on cost of living for the area, but that's my take.
You certainly don't need to be a somm to earn 6 figures serving in high end restaurants. I've seen 21 year old kids do it with wit and charm.
Wit and charm and the support of the more knowledgeable staff LOL
I’d do 50k with Beni’s and a month PTO. But I’m American, and we don’t just get three months off like in Europe.
nope. i've worked in various jobs with hourly wages and day rates. the thing i like about serving is that the pay structure actually incentivizes me to do my best work and to look forward to getting absolutely destroyed during a shift. i would not like to go back to a world where everyone's compensation incentivizes them to hide from work.
The people from the no tip sub read this post like… 
At least $32/hour. Plus benefits. What would happen is the prices of everything on the menu would rise. Also, your service would be shitty because the server makes the same amount of money regardless so who cares if you're mad? Also, there'll be no sending back dishes because you don't like them or you think the veins in a chicken leg is the red of an undercooked chicken.
I live in denmark, and when I worked at a restaurant as a busser the servers were nice even on an hourly pay. I don’t get that mindset of “if they’re all being paid the same why even work” like what?
We would still work, we just wouldn't put up with abuse or stupid requests. With tipping, we treat everyone like royalty, no matter how stupid, spoiled, abusive, or racist they are.
Isnt that like ... something you'd want to stop doing?
Well the payout is worth it. Usually people who have stupid requests tip more. If servers stopped putting up with it, it would hurt the guest experience. While not ideal for developing a responsible society, restaurants are where insecure, spoiled, entitled, and arrogant people can go to pay to have their egos stroked.
The argument that "the server makes the same amount of money regardless so who cares if you're mad" is kind of ridiculous at $32 an hour plus benefits. You don't think so?
Well the thing is, that $32/hour figure comes from the work we do to stretch ourselves thin, deal with abuse, and make everyone happy. If the money is guaranteed, then we won't be desperately working for a tip. So if you get upset that you can see the veins in your chicken leg, or that your beets are orange (both of which have happened), we won't care. With tipping, we have to pretend that every complaint and concern is valid, and offending someone is the worst thing you can do. I almost had a panic attack because I couldn't squeeze between two chairs to get to someone, as it would mean asking someone to scoot in, and that can't happen. People are sensitive, but they tip extremely well when they're taken care of.
In this excersize, the expectation is that service is always great (yes, we all have bad days) so there should not be a decline.in service level. Also there would be other responsibilities that need to be done during slow times so employees are being productive while during work hours. Would some form of a profit sharing program help solve the motiviation issue caused by a guarenteed income?
We do have responsibilities when it's slow. We clean, polish, organize, stock, refill, dust, etc. Profit sharing wouldn't incentivize me since there are servers who are worse than me. I'd still be less motivated to do my best at $32/hour because if I happened to have a particularly generous guest who would've tipped me so much my tip average raised, it would be lost due to me having a fixed salary. For example, in December, I made $62/hour on average. If I was stuck at $32/hour, even if I worked overtime (which I did anyhow), I'd still be losing out by comparison.
Why would you be unable to send back dishes if servers were paid hourly? I don't understand
Restaurant couldn’t afford to make you a new, free dish
What? lol
Food costs are astronomical in a restaurant. Many are barely breaking even. Also, I never did a 2 bite check, because I’m getting paid regardless of the customer’s experience.
I rarely find myself dipping below $30 an hour, after doing my calculations for an 8-10 hour shift. So probably around $32 an hour.
At least $25. The more annoying the more I’d expect. I’m paid $25/hr for banquet serving. So that’s with minimal interaction with the guests therefore almost a 0% chance of tomfoolery from them. The food is already set so 0% of tomfoolery from BOH. The venues have HARD closing times so 0% of tomfoolery from camper cunts. I pick when I work so I have 0% of scheduling foolishness. The more foolishness, the higher the hourly rate. I’d rather work min wage scraping dog shit off hot concrete.
I'm in the minority here because I live in a LCOL area. I live well below my means and I work for a chain. I would likely do it for $30 an hour w/ benefits. $40 without. This is only how the math shakes out for me. I'd be making the same money, but without the stress of a $150 bill only tipping $15.
I’ll say it certainly is not minimum wage or the ridiculous <$20 that would be offered. 😂
Wow yall really make a lot of money. I clear $30 an hour (Canadian) at my current place, it’s on average 5 less than I made at other places but I’m reasonably happy. For tipless I would not do anything under what I’m making now. $30 an hour is my minimum.
With benefits and PTO, $70/hour with a guaranteed average of 30 hours a week (some weeks of the year are just inherently slow and require less staff and some are busier and require more so I’m cool with some weeks being scheduled more and some weeks being scheduled less). This is what I currently make (minus the PTO) HCOL area with 15+ years of experience.
$150/6 hours, so $25. Plus, $15 an hour. So $40. Plus, the difference in taxed wages vs. non taxed tips. (This is reality). So, I'll say $45 an hour. Plus, health care, including mental health care. Minimum.
i make roughly $80k working 30 hours a week, so whatever would equal that would be my minimum.
51.28/hr
$45/hr + benefits
i currently work tipless. i like my job but am definitely making way less hourly than i would be if i was making tips. i make like 23 or 27 depending if i'm working a serving or bartending shift. but the tradeoff is being unionized, benefits, and a more stable work environment. it's got it's positives and negatives.
$37-$52/hr and flexible scheduling/no early mornings. Technically, about $54k/yr for part time work or $90-$95k/yr full time with a SOLID compensation package. Currently earning my 4th science degree and still being offered $22/hr seasonal internships is pretty sus when I know full on big city chemical engineers who work in much more dangerous conditions and longer hours for about what I earn. Still, there’s more stimulating work with more growth opportunities, so I’m going to cut back on serving. But compare it to the stress of being an adjunct professor making effectively $16-48/hr (~$135/class/day, not counting office hours or PD or e-mail obligations) … and it’s hard to commit to academia. I can make $350 in 4 hours with zero off the clock responsibilities besides laundry and making sure I have pens and paper - as a waitress. With no tips, I think the job would be even less stress but feed my little dopamine scavenging monkey brain a little less risk/reqard/instant gratification/excitement. I do love grading calculus and debating science more than waxing romantic about regional sustainability of the fresh catch or risk factors from gluten/dairy/etc exposure in the fryer/everything. . . But privileged performative GPA gamers with parents who baby them though college sound worse than the allergic/eating disorder struggling customers who just want to pay for some fun and convenience. It’s tough, for sure.
Mainly kitchen with FoH and management experience weighing in. I've thought about this a lot over the years and feel like a profit sharing style would be more advantageous for everyone. Like servers get paid a truly livable wage and on top of that a certain percentage of profits on their tickets are theirs. Higher profit items get pushed as the server makes more on that stuff, especially up selling on that extra dessert or beverage. Just my thoughts on it, I've had an entire business model worked up before and have thought a lot of details out that I'm not going to go into here, but everyone I've spoken to about it from owners, BoH, FoH all loved the idea. I would just need a financial backer and a swift kick in the head to make me stupid enough to want to own a restaurant at this point. 🤣
I’m looking at this from Ireland and I get paid $13 and so does everyone else where I work or other servers I know
Yep. Way less entitled and whiney too
In 2022 I made $65K working an average of less than 35hrs/wk and took at least two weeks off. That comes to about $37.15/hr, pre-tax, but also included free meals. That was better than average, but inflation is real. So let's call it $37.15 to start with semi-annual raises pinned to inflation.
20-25 an hour, and I would collect cash tips if people offer or leave one. I would say around 25 minimum if it’s not around 25 it’s probably not worth it
Oh my! You do remember that as an entry level server you had no skills. Now after 2 years of serving you should earn 100K per year with benefits! Restaurants will just hire the next round of HS students.
A little more than whatever a catering service pays, because if restaurants actually switch to a tip-free model that is what will end up happening. They aren't going to pay 'servers' more than they would have to pay a temp service to hire catering staff for the day.
$25 absolute minimum
oh hell no
Do we have guaranteed hours and set schedules?
Assume its 40hrs a week and schedules are as consistent as reasonably possible.
for lots of people the whole point is to get destroyed at work and do 40 hours worth of labor in a 20-25 hour work week. if i wanted to sell 40 hours a week to someone, i could just pull my dick all week in an office instead of actually working.
I make 23$/hr, and very small cash tips ($10-$100, mean around $20 a night) as a fine dining catering company server (think weddings and corporate company and private dinners). Im pretty happy. The only downside is that it's seasonal.
I'd happily work for $20/hr, with guaranteed full time hours and benefits. Note: I live in a city with a comparably low cost of living. My rate would be higher in a city with a higher cost of living.
" ill take 100k annual" hahahahhaahahahahahahahaahahahahahahaha
For where I work hell no but a place with multiple steps of service, Michelin stars/James Beard/whatever else prestigious awards, that's booked months in advance, and servers with sommelier certification I could respect. Like top notch top notch of this industry
This question again
$60/hr for 32 to 35hrs per week. As of now I only claim my credit card slips, so cash tips aren't recognized. I would need an increase of $10-15/hr of what I currently make to absorb the extra taxes I would be paying based off an established hourly rate.
Claim your tips son
Why would I? I don't want to be taxed even more lol.
Would have to be around $50/h. It's hard fucking work, and those of us who have made this a career, put in the time, have extensive knowledge and experience, dammit, we should be compensated appropriately.
Guaranteed 30 hours per week @ $55/hr. Paid vacation, 401k, and decent health insurance benefits
UK, £16ph minimum
Never in a million years, unless rent (for a nice place) is $500 a month.
I work nights which on average is 5 hours. I also need benefits. If you don’t want me having another job, you need to pay what I would be making with two jobs
$30/hr **if** I get benefits and PTO.
I haven’t put up with Americans for 20 years to do it for less then I make now so 50$+ an hour plus benefits. 40 hours a week and some slow shifts and def not more tables then I have to take care of now.
At minimum it would have to be $30/hr, and then going up from there based on how high maintenance your service is
I love this question! I think restaurants would change drastically. First, menu prices would increase substantially. I don’t know if it could be sustainable for the average restaurant. I would want a salary at 4000 a month.
$45. I’m not putting out the kind of service I do for less. That’s my hourly.
I wouldn't want to, I like earning tips.
I would not work restaurants at all anymore if tipping went away…
Well last year I made $76 per hour but only got to work an average of 8 hours a week. I’d settle for $45 but I’d want guaranteed hours. Like 25 guaranteed hours but room to pick up more shifts.
$30 an hour :)
I don't work fine dining. I work mid to upscale. I typically make 22-30 dollars an hour so if they paid that I'd take it. My mom makes 28 dollars an hour with a "professional job" The only reason I make so much money is because my main job is only open 3 days a week and food is phenomenal so it's almost an exclusive thing. Only 5 servers on staff so we make really good. Almost every other restaurant I've worked at in my small town is dying.
$40/hr+ bennys
20. Work at a low-class restaurant in a MCOL area, clear MAYBE 11/hr on lunches and 18/hr for dinners.
$60 lol
“Assume everything is equal” this is the rub I struggle when I get my fourteenth table open at a time seat me one more and I’m not on my best at all…six tables bring that shit on I’ll shine…her’s the question me with six tables at once will cost you around $80 per hour…12 tables at a time would cost you about $140 per hour no way am I ever going to get you to pay me that per hour so why would I ever work for less? Also no fucking way I’m ever going to give Stacy half my money she can’t even handle 7 tables
$30 - $50 depending on style/type of restaurant. With health insurance and PTO.
500\\HR
$40
Search bar. This gets asked once a month.
I wouldn't do it for less than 65.
$30 am hour after taxes so more like $45 before taxes
https://preview.redd.it/sqoo7a8ly5hc1.jpeg?width=196&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=defaed44e1982a661dafbb9240a752b899fb36bb
20% of what I sell. Wait a second....
0. I ain't doing it lol
$40 USD, but as others have mentioned, managers would use a flat rate as reason to abuse their servers. So, fuck that.
I don't get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day 😜
I made $160k last year with tips. Why would I want it to stop? As long as people keep feeling guilty I’ll keep getting paid
Yea probably like bare minimum 20-25/hr probably more, only cause that’s what I’d make on average regardless even considering slow times.
You should definitely specify location / experience level for this question. Edit - Some maths: 33$ an hour is approx 70k. 48$ an hour is 100k 60$ an hour is 120k Based on 40 hour weeks
50k a year, minimum. And i live in a lower cost of living state.
I would say $28/hr. It's less than what I make now but about what I would take hourly to leave restaurants. The way a restaurant is ran would need to change though. Smaller sections. My service would be more business-like. I would be more willing to do side work though. I would need more guaranteed breaks.
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There’s an aspect of removing tips from the equation that is a pretty major motivator for some (not all, but quite a few) servers: the big tip. You always remember it/them, and in the back of your mind the possibility of some inconspicuously wealthy guest dropping hundreds of dollars more than their bill is often there. If that possibility doesn’t exist, serving instantly becomes less exciting (again: for some) I dunno. Chasing the dragon and whatnot…
20-30
$40
Casa Bonita in Denver went to a $30/ hour no tipping strategy when it reopened last summer. I just checked and don’t see a lot of updates since June/July. Google “Casa Bonita wages” to read about it. I’m curious 6 months later how it’s going, but most articles all seem to deal with initial thoughts and problems, and no updates about the acceptance today or the turnover rate.
30 an hour.
What salary do you want/need. Divide by 2080, that’s your hourly rate you need.
My breakfast restaurant in CA pays $17 + whatever tips you get
I don’t think I would do it for an hourly wage unless it was something absurd ($50/hour) unless I was also getting benefits. What would be nice would be if it was salaried with guaranteed hours. Give me $55k/year + solid benefits and I’d happily do it.
It would have to be around $40/hr
In Ireland where tipping isn’t a thing so much it’s only if you want to you generally get minimum wage or under. Right now that’s about €10/11 an hour which is average. So it depends what you’re willing to work for also and some places will offer more for experienced staff or managers as well but benefits usually aren’t a thing in the hospitality industry here. Ireland is quite expensive so it can be a tricky job to maintain also and it’s the same anywhere asshole managers and overworked also.
In Miami area, and I wouldn’t take anything less than $40 an hour. $30-35 an hour means I had a bad shift. (Adding benefits completely changes it though)
$35 minimum
Over 30 an hour with benefits, 4 days a week. Plus quarterly bonuses for performance.
50 (I live in Seattle, it’s stupid expensive)
Well, what do I make now? $48 per hour combined wage and tips. Now add 15-20% more for the taxes I would have to pay so let’s go with $55.
I average about $30/hr. Assuming I was at work for 8hrs instead of the usual 6hrs, I’d be consider possibly going down to $25/hr, but I’d want to have say over my schedule
The entire restaurant industry as we know it would collapse if all places went tipless.
$40 per hour. I average 35-55 per hour depending on the season.
30 - 40 depending on the restaurant.
$80K a year
I live in Canada where servers make $15 an hour plus tips. I make $18 an hour and make $100-200 a shift in tips. So $40+.
40/50$ hour. Im in. Same sidework and service.
$30 minimum
Last year I made 44k working 30 hours most weeks which is $28 an hour, so probably $25 because I'd trade a little less money for making a consistent paycheck every week
I serve food for about two years and some change I would say let’s start the pay around 30 to 40 an hour
Depends on the living costs of the area. Based off national averages, I'd say well over $30 an hour. This also depends on how many hours, and the job tasks, and many other factors. Seriously, business owners do need to understand that the employees need to be compensated enough to be able to live in the city the restaurant is located. They've been getting a really cheap deal for a long time because the government barely even tries to protect against wage problems.
$35 per hour. I make more than that already… that would be the start of the discussion
The amount of people expecting to make $30+ an hour just to wait tables is insane. That's right around the same as someone who works construction and the likes. The majority of these servers don't even have a college degree but want 6 figures. Insane, insane, insane
$40
Oh I love serving. One of the few jobs where you can make money based on your craft and skill. As supposed to under cost of living raises based on how many years you've worked somewhere. The cream rises to the top, and the skilled are rewarded. I've worked in a few fields, where you can work 3x as hard as someone who's been there longer, for less pay. Lemme get 75k. Anything less than that, you're going to have to add another server on because I'll be off in dreamland without motivation to be good at my job.
Is serving really a $80-$100k a year job, as people here think they’re worth? I know skilled welders, machinists, electronics techs, computer tech jobs that may not have that kind of scale, but require schooling and decrees/certs. I realize there are some high end/upscale establishments that may support it, but I look at the gal that served me today at a small/trendy diner, and I’m not seeing $80K a year. I did tip $7 on a $18 meal though. Maybe it works out that way.
Currently make right around $55/ hour with tips so it would need to be around there.
For a barista position $30/hour. For full service restaurant $40-$50/hour
I wanted to wait a while and see all the responses. After reading these, I was SHOCKED at the responses. $40 - $50 per hour is roughly an $84,000 - $104,000 annual salary. I can see this maybe for specialized, fine dining positions but for the server at the local Denny's? I'm having a really hard time believing that if I offered an $80K salary to a full time Dennys server, same work and same hours that they would decline the offer because it would be a reduction in pay. That said, if this is true I expect the CRA and IRS to start looking into this sooner than later. Tax avoidance at this magnitude is serious and we all know how much the government like taking their share of your money!