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If you are relating this to strictly restaurant servers I have to say no although we do have a minimum wage that is federally mandated. Minimum wage for a tipped employee whose wages come primarily from tips receive $2.33 as a base wage. That wage goes for paying taxes on what I earn in tipped wages but sometimes that is not enough to cover taxes and many end up paying at the end of the year. The general wage comes from the customer based on many factors. I wouldn't want that change as I enjoy earning what I do based on my performance and selling abilities.

On average I am able to make $18-$20 an hour which is amazing to most but people have to consider the many things as to why this may seem like a lot to some but in reality isn't what it seems. I base my average on the hours I am actually waiting on tables not set up time and close down time when I am making only $2.33 an hour. A restaurant may serve from tables for 5 hours on a night shift but there is at least an hour of set up and an hour of close down so my average wage goes down with those factors in place. There are also times such as Sunday brunch where the set up is 2 hours and the tear down is about the same so that is 4 hours at $2.33 but what I make in the 4 hours I am waiting on tables compensates me for that.

If the service industry adhered to the minimum wage of all other jobs you would have issues with service quality and people willing to work these types of jobs. I personally love the industry but mostly enjoy knowing I am making what I earn based on my knowledge of food and wine, my personality, my attentiveness, and my overall ability to create an experience to remember, bringing a customer back again and again. The money can be very good if you do your job well and isn't that part of dining out? If you had an server promised a wage no matter what the service would suffer. Why go out of your way when you are going to get paid either way? Wouldn't a diner rather pay what is earned and not just given. If a minimum wages is required and the diner would have to pay through higher prices anyway. I would rather pay what is earned rather than what is required. I believe if more jobs were based on this people would work a lot harder and the quality would be much better. If I was making an average of 10% I would know I am doing something wrong so if I want to make more I better work harder and learn what I can to do my job better.

There will always be a customer that doesn't know how to tip or doesn't believe in it for whatever reason but the majority makes up for it. The wages also vary depending on volume and night of the week but if it comes down to it a server is required to be paid the minimum wage. No server legally can be paid less than the minimum the government has assigned. If the business isn't there that night the owners are required to pay standard minimum wage. This rarely happens but it is insurance of sorts.

Servers have a harder job than most think and there is a lot more to it than just bringing a table their food. There are messes to clean up, rude people to accommodate, children's preferences, special needs and so many other things beyond what people see. There are no breaks, even bathroom breaks are hard to come by, there just isn't time. We eat as we go when we can, there are days where you are on your feet through lunch and dinner and most definately you must keep your emotions in check. Our job is to please however many people we serve during our shifts and each one is different. I will always prefer to earn what I deserve than just be given a standard. It is an evaluation from a customer every time I wait on them.

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