Shift Earnings Calculator
How much did you actually make? Enter your shift details to see your total take-home pay and effective hourly rate.
Hours Worked
Hourly Wage
Cash Tips
Credit Card Tips
Tip Out %
CC Processing Fee %
Some employers deduct CC processing fees from card tips. Prohibited in CA, MA, ME, CO, NV, OR, WA.
Track Every Shift Automatically
Log tips, track shifts, and see your real earnings over time
Sample Shift Earnings by Scenario
Take-home earnings for a few common shift setups. All figures assume no CC processing fee.
| Hours | Hourly Wage | Cash Tips | Card Tips | Tip Out % | Total Earnings | Eff. Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | $2.13 | $40 | $60 | 20% | $88.52 | $22.13/hr |
| 5 | $2.13 | $50 | $75 | 20% | $110.65 | $22.13/hr |
| 6 | $2.13 | $80 | $120 | 20% | $172.78 | $28.80/hr |
| 6 | $7.25 | $80 | $120 | 20% | $203.50 | $33.92/hr |
| 8 | $2.13 | $100 | $150 | 20% | $217.04 | $27.13/hr |
| 8 | $7.25 | $100 | $150 | 20% | $258.00 | $32.25/hr |
| 8 | $15.00 | $60 | $90 | 15% | $247.50 | $30.94/hr |
| 10 | $2.13 | $120 | $180 | 20% | $261.30 | $26.13/hr |
| 12 | $2.13 | $200 | $300 | 20% | $425.56 | $35.46/hr |
| 12 | $7.25 | $200 | $300 | 20% | $487.00 | $40.58/hr |
How shift earnings work for tipped employees
If you work as a server, bartender, barista, or delivery driver, your pay comes from two places: a base hourly wage and tips. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employers can pay tipped employees as little as $2.13 per hour in direct wages, so long as your tips bring your total up to the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hr. This is called the tip credit system.
The maximum tip credit is $5.12 per hour ($7.25 − $2.13). If your tips plus direct wage don't reach $7.25 in any workweek, your employer has to make up the difference. Many states set higher tipped minimum wages. California, Oregon, and Washington don't allow a tip credit at all, so tipped employees there earn the full state minimum wage before tips.
How tip-outs cut into your pay
Tip-out is the share of your tips that goes to support staff like bussers, bartenders, food runners, and hosts. Most restaurants use one of these methods:
- Percentage of tips -- you give up a percentage of total tips earned (the method this calculator uses)
- Percentage of sales -- you tip out based on your total sales, which hurts more on slow nights
- Points system -- tips get split based on points assigned to each role
Typical tip-out rates by role: bussers get 10–30%, bartenders 10–20%, hosts 3–5%, and food runners 5–10%. All together, you might tip out 20–40% of your tips. One thing to know: under FLSA rules, managers and supervisors cannot take any share of a tip pool.
Credit card tips and processing fees
When customers tip on a credit card, your employer may deduct the processing fee (typically 2–3.5%) from your card tips. Federal law allows this as long as it doesn't drop your hourly earnings below minimum wage. On $120 in card tips with a 3% fee, that's $3.60 gone.
Several states ban this practice outright: California, Massachusetts, Maine, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. If you work in one of those states, set the CC fee to 0% in the calculator above.
Why you should track every shift
Keeping a record of what you earn each shift helps with two things: budgeting and taxes. Cash and credit card tips are both taxable income that must be reported to the IRS. Your effective hourly rate (total earnings divided by hours worked) tells you what you actually made per hour, which is useful for comparing shifts and making sure your employer is meeting the minimum wage.
If your effective rate keeps falling below $7.25/hr (or your state's minimum), your employer may be breaking the law. Hold onto your records and check them against your pay stubs. You can file a complaint with the DOL Wage and Hour Division if you think you're being shortchanged.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers about shift pay, tip-outs, and CC fees
How do I calculate my total shift earnings as a server?
Add your base pay (hours worked × hourly wage) to your take-home tips (total tips minus tip-out and any CC fee deductions). Say you work a 6-hour shift at $2.13/hr with $200 in tips and 20% tip-out: that's $12.78 base pay + $160 take-home tips = $172.78 total.
What is a typical tip-out percentage for servers?
Most servers tip out 20–40% of their total tips. A common split looks like 5–10% to bussers, 5–10% to bartenders, 3–5% to hosts, and 5–7% to food runners. Your restaurant might calculate it as a percentage of tips or a percentage of sales.
What is the federal tipped minimum wage in 2026?
The federal tipped minimum wage is $2.13 per hour. Employers can claim a tip credit of up to $5.12 per hour, but your total earnings (wages + tips) must equal at least $7.25 per hour. If they don't, your employer must make up the difference.
Can my employer deduct credit card processing fees from my tips?
Federal law (FLSA) lets employers deduct the credit card processing fee (usually 2–3.5%) from your card tips, but it can't drop your hourly pay below minimum wage. Some states ban it outright, including California, Massachusetts, Maine, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.
What is an effective hourly rate and why does it matter?
Your effective hourly rate is your total shift earnings (base pay + take-home tips) divided by hours worked. It tells you what you actually earned per hour, which is the number you want when comparing jobs, picking up extra shifts, or checking whether your employer is meeting the $7.25/hr minimum.
How much do servers make per shift on average?
It depends heavily on the restaurant. Casual spots tend to pay $20–$80 per shift, midscale places $40–$150, and fine dining can hit $100–$400+. The BLS puts the median hourly wage for servers (including tips) at $16.23 as of May 2024.
Is my tip-out calculated on total tips or total sales?
It depends on your restaurant's policy. The two most common methods are: (1) percentage of total tips earned, and (2) percentage of total sales. The percentage-of-sales method can cost servers more on low-tip nights. This calculator uses the percentage-of-tips method; for percentage-of-sales calculations, use our Tip Out Calculator.
How do I know if my employer is paying me correctly?
Write down your hours, base pay, and tips every shift. Divide your total earnings by hours worked. That number has to meet or beat your state's minimum wage (or $7.25 federal). If it keeps coming up short, your employer owes you the difference. Save your records and check them against your pay stubs.