---
title: "Server Minimum Wage in District of Columbia (2026)"
url: https://www.tipmaxapp.com/us/answers/district-of-columbia/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 District of Columbia?

**Short answer:** D.C. has an $18.40 minimum wage and a tipped cash wage of $10.30. DOL says employers must currently pay tipped workers at least 56% of the standard minimum in cash and may take the remaining $8.10 as a tip credit. If tips don’t lift you to $18.40 an hour, your employer pays the gap.

## District of Columbia at a glance

| Rule | District of Columbia | Federal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Minimum wage | $18.40 | Federal: $7.25 |
| Tipped cash wage (paid before tips) | $10.30 | Federal: $2.13 |
| Can tips count toward minimum wage? | Yes | DOL: Yes (TW fn3: "minimum cash wage of at least 56% the standard minimum wage") |

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

## What’s different in District of Columbia

Instead of a flat tipped rate, the District ties the cash wage to a percentage. DOL’s footnote reads that employers must “currently” pay at least 56% of the standard minimum in cash. That word matters: the cash wage is tied to the minimum, so $10.30 is a snapshot, not a fixed number.

The standard minimum itself is adjusted every year on July 1, according to DOL. When it rises, the 56% cash floor rises with it. Check your rate each summer rather than assuming last year’s stub still holds.

Against the federal $2.13, a D.C. server’s guaranteed cash is in a different league. BLS listed the local median for waiters and waitresses at $23.01 an hour in May 2025, an employer-provided figure that includes reported tips, so use it as context only.

## Example shift

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

1. Wages: $10.30 × 6 = **$61.80**.
2. With tips: $61.80 + $120 = **$181.80**, or **$30.30 an hour**.
3. If your tips for the week don’t bring you to $18.40 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 District of Columbia was **$23.01** 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)
- [District of Columbia labor agency](http://www.does.dc.gov/ (+ https://ohr.dc.gov/))

## 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

D.C. sets the server cash wage at 56% of an $18.40 minimum that resets each July 1, so keeping your own tip and hour log helps you catch a stub that didn’t update.

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.