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

**Short answer:** Pennsylvania’s minimum wage is $7.25, the same as the federal rate, but the tipped cash wage is higher: $2.83 an hour rather than $2.13. Your employer can count tips toward the rest of $7.25 through the tip credit. If $2.83 plus your tips doesn’t reach $7.25 for the hours worked, the employer owes the balance.

## Pennsylvania at a glance

| Rule | Pennsylvania | Federal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Minimum wage | $7.25 | Federal: $7.25 |
| Tipped cash wage (paid before tips) | $2.83 | Federal: $2.13 |
| Can tips count toward minimum wage? | Yes | DOL: Yes |
| State tax on the federal tips deduction | Pennsylvania’s personal income tax has no provision to exempt tip income. |  |

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

## What’s different in Pennsylvania

The headline minimum isn’t what sets Pennsylvania apart; the cash wage is. Employers here have to pay at least $2.83 in cash, a bit above the federal $2.13, so the fixed line on your stub is slightly bigger than in states that follow federal law.

Pennsylvania also uses its own test for who is tipped. The DOL table lists $135 per month in tips, a much higher monthly threshold than the federal one. If your tips don’t reach that level, ask the state labor office how the tipped rate applies to you.

State tax is the other real difference. The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue says its personal income tax has no provision to exempt tip income. So even if you claim the federal deduction for qualified tips, the state still taxes those tips. The May 2025 BLS median for the state’s waiters and waitresses, $16.68, is an employer estimate with reported tips folded in.

## Example shift

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

1. Wages: $2.83 × 6 = **$16.98**.
2. With tips: $16.98 + $120 = **$136.98**, or **$22.83 an hour**.
3. If your tips for the week don’t bring you to $7.25 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 Pennsylvania was **$16.68** 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)
- [Pennsylvania labor agency](https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dli)
- [Pennsylvania Department of Revenue: federal tax law changes](https://www.pa.gov/agencies/revenue/resources/tax-law-policies-bulletins-notices/tax-cuts-and-jobs-one-big-beautiful-bill-acts)

## 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

Pennsylvania’s personal income tax has no exemption for tip income, so a full-year record of your tips matters for the state return as much as the federal one.

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.