What’s the minimum wage for servers in Michigan?

Michigan at a glance

As of the U.S. Department of Labor table revised July 1, 2026. Next change: DOL: the Michigan minimum wage is scheduled to increase on January 1, 2027 to $15.00 per hour, and the tipped cash wage is scheduled to rise annually until it reaches 50% of the state minimum wage in 2031. Your city may set a higher rate.

What’s different in Michigan

Michigan is partway through a planned phase-up. The DOL says the state minimum is scheduled to reach $15.00 on January 1, 2027, and to adjust each year by formula after that. On a separate track, the tipped cash wage is set to rise annually until it equals 50% of the state minimum in 2031.

What that does to your check: the guaranteed hourly part keeps growing, and the share an employer may cover with your tips keeps shrinking. If you’re paid $5.49 now, don’t assume that rate is still right after the next scheduled step. Look at the rate on each new pay stub.

Measured against the federal pair of $2.13 cash and $7.25 overall, Michigan already pays more on both lines. The May 2025 BLS median for waiters and waitresses here was $18.16 an hour. Employers estimate it and it counts reported tips, so treat it as a rough reference point only.

Example shift

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

1. Wages: $5.49 × 6 = $32.94.
2. With tips: $32.94 + $120 = $152.94, or $25.49 an hour.
3. If your tips for the week don’t bring you to $13.73 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 Michigan was $18.16 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?