---
title: "Server Minimum Wage in Arizona (2026)"
url: https://www.tipmaxapp.com/us/answers/arizona/server-wage
language: en
publisher: TipMax (Entermaurs Incorporated)
date_published: 2026-09-23
last_verified: 2026-09-23
---

# What’s the minimum wage for servers in Arizona?

**Short answer:** In Arizona the minimum wage is $15.15 an hour, and a restaurant can pay servers a cash wage as low as $12.15 as long as tips close the gap. That $3.00 difference is the tip credit. If your tips in a pay period don’t bring you up to $15.15 an hour, your employer has to pay the difference.

## Arizona at a glance

| Rule | Arizona | Federal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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).

1. Wages: $12.15 × 6 = **$72.90**.
2. With tips: $72.90 + $120 = **$192.90**, or **$32.15 an hour**.
3. 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.

Check your own week: https://www.tipmaxapp.com/tools/tipped-wage-check

## Official sources

- [U.S. Department of Labor: Minimum wages for tipped employees (state table)](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped)
- [U.S. Department of Labor: State minimum wage laws](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state)
- [BLS: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, waiters and waitresses (35-3031)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes353031.htm)
- [Arizona labor agency](https://www.azica.gov/divisions/labor-department)

## Last verified

September 23, 2026. Checked the U.S. Department of Labor state tables (revised July 1, 2026) and BLS OEWS May 2025.

## About TipMax

Arizona employers may count only $3.00 of tips toward the $15.15 minimum, so a written record of your tips per shift lets you confirm the math on every stub.

TipMax is an iPhone app for servers and bartenders that tracks tips and tip-outs and turns a restaurant menu into study flashcards.

Download TipMax free: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tipmax-study-track-earn/id6744850146

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TipMax Answers explains public government guidance on pay and workplace rules in plain English for tipped workers. It is **not legal, tax, or accounting advice**. Rules change and local rules can add to them. Confirm with the agency linked on this page or a qualified professional. TipMax the app helps you track tips and pay; it doesn’t enforce wage law or decide disputes.