How Much Do I tip?
My question for the week…If your server makes $22+ an hour, do you still tip 20% or
more?
Seattle's minimum wage goes to $22.14/hour in January 2027. And unlike most of the country, Washington State doesn't allow a "tip credit." Every server, bartender, and busser gets the full minimum wage in cash; tips come on top of that. (As a point of reference, NYC has a “tip credit,” so NYC's base minimum for servers is $11.35, almost half of Seattle's. So the cost of living, although high in Seattle, is about 24% lower than in NYC.)
So here's my dilemma—dinner for two, $150 bill. A 20% tip is another $30. On top of a $22+ base wage.
Do you:
Tip 20% anyway. It's still an expensive city, and service is still service?
Tip less, say 10–15%, because the wage floor has changed?
Skip it. If the wage is fair, the price should include it?
I'm genuinely torn. As someone who's spent years on the business side of food, I know restaurant margins are razor thin (450 Seattle restaurants—about 16% of the city’s total— closed in the first half of 2025), and I respect how hard service work is, as I did have a gig as a waiter many years ago.
But the tipping math was built for a wage system Seattle no longer has.
Where do you land? And if you're a server or restaurant owner in Seattle, I especially want to hear from you. 👇
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