What’s the minimum wage for servers in West Virginia?
The short answer
West Virginia at a glance
| Minimum wage | $8.75 | Federal: $7.25 |
|---|---|---|
| Tipped cash wage (paid before tips) | $2.62 | 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 West Virginia
The state minimum sits above the federal $7.25, and the $2.62 cash wage is a little higher than the federal $2.13. The tip credit is written as a share: up to 70% of the applicable minimum can come from tips, which is why the cash wage looks so low next to the minimum.
Coverage is the catch. According to the DOL, the state minimum wage law applies only to employers with six or more employees and to state agencies. If your restaurant is smaller than that, ask which rate your employer uses and why.
The DOL table doesn’t specify a monthly tip amount for the tipped-employee definition here. The May 2025 BLS median for waiters and waitresses in West Virginia was $17.01, an estimate from employers that already includes reported tips.
Example shift
Say you work 6 hours and walk out with $120 in tips (illustrative numbers; use your own).
- Wages: $2.62 Ă— 6 = $15.72.
- With tips: $15.72 + $120 = $135.72, or $22.62 an hour.
- If your tips for the week don’t bring you to $8.75 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 West Virginia was $17.01 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.