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

**Short answer:** Vermont’s minimum wage is $14.42 an hour for employers of two or more employees, and servers must get a cash wage of at least $7.21. The tip credit lets your employer count tips toward the other half. If tips don’t make up that half for the hours you worked, your employer must pay you up to $14.42.

## Vermont at a glance

| Rule | Vermont | Federal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Minimum wage | $14.42 | Federal: $7.25 |
| Tipped cash wage (paid before tips) | $7.21 | 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 Vermont

Two things set Vermont apart from federal rules. First, the tipped cash wage is half the state minimum, not a fixed $2.13, so it rises whenever the minimum rises. Vermont adjusts its minimum every year by a set formula.

Second, the bar to be treated as a tipped employee is high. The DOL table says more than $120 a month in tips. If your tips stay below that level, check with the state labor office before assuming the $7.21 rate applies to you.

The state law covers employers of two or more employees, per the DOL. Vermont’s May 2025 BLS median for waiters and waitresses was $28.43 an hour, far above the minimum. That figure is estimated by employers, includes reported tips, and rests on a small workforce of 4,040, so treat it with caution.

## Example shift

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

1. Wages: $7.21 × 6 = **$43.26**.
2. With tips: $43.26 + $120 = **$163.26**, or **$27.21 an hour**.
3. If your tips for the week don’t bring you to $14.42 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 Vermont was **$28.43** 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)
- [Vermont labor agency](http://www.labor.vermont.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

In Vermont the tipped rate only applies once you receive more than $120 a month in tips, so a month-by-month tip record shows whether the $7.21 rate should apply at all.

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.