What’s the minimum wage for servers in Arizona?
The short answer
Arizona at a glance
| Minimum wage | $15.15 | Federal: $7.25 |
|---|---|---|
| Tipped cash wage (paid before tips) | $12.15 | Federal: $2.13 |
| Can tips count toward minimum wage? | Yes | DOL: Yes |
As of the U.S. Department of Labor table revised July 1, 2026. Your city may set a higher rate.
What’s different in Arizona
Arizona does use a tip credit, but a small one. The federal rules let an employer pay $2.13 and let tips carry the rest of the way to $7.25. Here the cash wage starts at $12.15, so most of your hourly base comes from the paycheck, not from the guest.
The DOL table leaves Arizona’s definition of a tipped employee as “Not specified,” where the federal rules spell out a monthly tips threshold. If you’re unsure whether your role counts as tipped, ask your employer how they classify it and check your pay stub.
The BLS put the median hourly wage for Arizona waiters and waitresses at $21.13 in May 2025. That figure comes from employer surveys and includes tips employers report, so treat it as a rough benchmark rather than what anyone takes home.
Example shift
Say you work 6 hours and walk out with $120 in tips (illustrative numbers; use your own).
- Wages: $12.15 × 6 = $72.90.
- With tips: $72.90 + $120 = $192.90, or $32.15 an hour.
- If your tips for the week don’t bring you to $15.15 an hour, federal law says your employer has to make up the difference.
What servers earn: BLS estimates the median hourly wage for waiters and waitresses in Arizona was $21.13 in May 2025. BLS counts tips in this figure, but the numbers come from employers’ estimates, so they may not reflect all the tips servers receive.
Check your own week: Am I being paid at least minimum wage?
Official sources
Last verified
. Checked the U.S. Department of Labor state tables (revised July 1, 2026) and BLS OEWS May 2025.