What’s the minimum wage for servers in Arkansas?

Arkansas at a glance

As of the U.S. Department of Labor table revised July 1, 2026. Your city may set a higher rate.

What’s different in Arkansas

Arkansas looks a lot like the federal model on the cash side. The tipped cash wage is $2.63, only a little above the federal $2.13, while the full minimum is $11.00 instead of $7.25. That leaves a wide gap your tips are supposed to fill.

One detail trips people up: the DOL cell for Arkansas says the $11.00 rate is “Applicable to employers with 4 or more employees.” At a very small place, the state rate may not cover you, though federal law can still apply if the business is covered by the FLSA.

For context, the BLS median for Arkansas waiters and waitresses was $11.86 an hour in May 2025. Employers supply that estimate and it folds in reported tips, so it isn’t a take-home figure. With most of your pay arriving as tips, a slow week is exactly when you want your own numbers to compare against the stub.

Example shift

Say you work 6 hours and walk out with $120 in tips (illustrative numbers; use your own).

1. Wages: $2.63 × 6 = $15.78.
2. With tips: $15.78 + $120 = $135.78, or $22.63 an hour.
3. If your tips for the week don’t bring you to $11.00 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 Arkansas was $11.86 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?