What’s the minimum wage for servers in Rhode Island?
The short answer
Rhode Island at a glance
| Minimum wage | $16.00 | Federal: $7.25 |
|---|---|---|
| Tipped cash wage (paid before tips) | $3.89 | Federal: $2.13 |
| Can tips count toward minimum wage? | Yes | DOL: Yes |
| Who counts as tipped | More than $30 in tips a month | |
As of the U.S. Department of Labor table revised July 1, 2026. Your city may set a higher rate.
What’s different in Rhode Island
Rhode Island pairs a high overall minimum with a low cash wage. At $16.00, the minimum is more than double the federal $7.25, yet the $3.89 cash floor sits much closer to the federal $2.13 than to the state minimum. Tips are expected to cover most of each hour.
That structure makes the top-up rule matter more than usual. On a dead weekday lunch, $3.89 and a few small tips can land far below $16.00 an hour, and the gap is the employer’s responsibility. Your own notes on hours and tips are how you spot a missing top-up.
Rhode Island counts you as tipped once you receive more than $30 a month in tips. The May 2025 BLS median for waiters and waitresses in the state was $17.03, just above the minimum. Employers estimate that number and it includes reported tips.
Example shift
Say you work 6 hours and walk out with $120 in tips (illustrative numbers; use your own).
- Wages: $3.89 Ă— 6 = $23.34.
- With tips: $23.34 + $120 = $143.34, or $23.89 an hour.
- If your tips for the week don’t bring you to $16.00 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 Rhode Island was $17.03 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?
Official sources
Last verified
. Checked the U.S. Department of Labor state tables (revised July 1, 2026) and BLS OEWS May 2025.