---
title: "Server Minimum Wage in Minnesota (2026)"
url: https://www.tipmaxapp.com/us/answers/minnesota/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 Minnesota?

**Short answer:** Minnesota servers are paid the full state minimum wage of $11.41 an hour by their employer, before any tips. The state doesn’t allow a tip credit, which means tips can’t be counted toward that $11.41. Whatever guests leave you is added on top of your base pay rather than replacing part of it.

## Minnesota at a glance

| Rule | Minnesota | Federal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Minimum wage | $11.41 | Federal: $7.25 |
| Tipped cash wage (paid before tips) | $11.41 | Federal: $2.13 |
| Can tips count toward minimum wage? | No | DOL: No |

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

## What’s different in Minnesota

Under federal rules a restaurant may pay $2.13 an hour and let tips make up the rest of $7.25. Minnesota closes that door completely. Your hourly rate is the same $11.41 a host or dishwasher is owed, and every tip stacks on it.

That number won’t stay fixed. The DOL notes that the state minimum is adjusted every year using a set formula, so check your rate when the new figure takes effect instead of relying on an old offer letter.

The May 2025 BLS median for Minnesota waiters and waitresses was $12.25 an hour, only a little above the base. Keep in mind that employers report that estimate and it already includes reported tips. It’s not a forecast of your own earnings, and a slow season can look very different.

## Example shift

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

1. Wages: $11.41 × 6 = **$68.46**.
2. With tips: $68.46 + $120 = **$188.46**, or **$31.41 an hour**.

**What servers earn:** BLS estimates the median hourly wage for waiters and waitresses in Minnesota was **$12.25** 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)
- [Minnesota labor agency](http://www.dli.mn.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

Because Minnesota bans the tip credit, your $11.41 base is fixed and tips are the part that swings, so logging tips per shift shows which nights actually pay off.

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.