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

**Short answer:** In Missouri, tipped servers must receive at least $7.50 an hour in cash, and the state minimum wage is $15.00. Your employer may credit tips for no more than half of that minimum, the other $7.50. If your tips over a pay period don’t cover it, the employer has to raise your pay to $15.00 an hour.

## Missouri at a glance

| Rule | Missouri | Federal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Minimum wage | $15.00 | Federal: $7.25 |
| Tipped cash wage (paid before tips) | $7.50 | 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 Missouri

Missouri ties the tipped wage to the regular minimum by a fixed share. The largest tip credit an employer can claim is 50% of the applicable minimum wage, so your cash floor is always half of whatever the minimum is. That is a very different design from the flat federal $2.13.

There is an important coverage exception. According to the DOL summary, the state law exempts, among others, employees of a retail or service business with gross annual sales of less than $500,000. If you work at a small independent spot, it’s fair to ask your manager which rate you are being paid under.

Missouri’s labor department is the place to confirm coverage. Bring your pay stubs, since a stub showing hours and a $7.50 rate makes the question concrete.

## Example shift

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

1. Wages: $7.50 × 6 = **$45.00**.
2. With tips: $45.00 + $120 = **$165.00**, or **$27.50 an hour**.
3. If your tips for the week don’t bring you to $15.00 an hour, federal law says your employer has to make up the difference.

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)
- [Missouri labor agency](http://www.labor.mo.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

Missouri caps the tip credit at half the $15.00 minimum, so a record of hours and tips for each pay period shows whether your tips really covered the other $7.50.

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

---

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.