What is the Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees in Florida? (2025)
In Florida, all hourly employees are entitled to earn a minimum wage. Our state’s minimum wage is higher than the federally guaranteed minimum wage. Notably, the direct minimum wage is lower for tipped employees—though employers may be required to pay additional direct wages if an employee does not earn sufficient tips during a particular hour of work. In this article, you will find an overview of the minimum wage for tipped employees in Florida in 2025.
Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees: $9.98 Per Hour
In Florida, there is a separate minimum wage for tipped employees. As of January 1st, 2025, the minimum wage for workers in Florida who can be lawfully classified as a tipped worker is $9.98 per hour. In other words, an employer of tipped employees—such as a restaurant that employs tipped servers—must pay them at least $9.98 per hour in direct wages.
Understanding How the Employer Tip Credit System Operates in Florida
The tip credit system in Florida allows employers to count a portion of the tips their employees earn towards meeting the minimum wage obligations. For example, if the standard minimum wage in Florida is $13.00 per hour—which is for the first nine months of 2025—and the minimum wage for tipped employees is $9.98 per hour, employers can take a tip credit of up to $3.02 per hour. To be clear, the actual tips received plus the direct wage paid by the employer must equal or exceed the general minimum wage.
Here is an example: Imagine a waitress in Florida works an 8-hour shift and earns $80 in tips. Her employer pays her $9.98 per hour as a direct wage. Over her shift, she earns $79.84 in direct wages ($9.98 per hour x 8 hours) and $80 in tips, totaling $159.84. Her total earnings for the shift divide to $19.98 per hour. As that figure is well above the minimum wage, the employer is not required to pay any additional wages. They can rely on the tip credit.
Note: Florida Minimum Wage is Scheduled to Increase On September 30th, 2025
The minimum wage for tipped workers in Florida—and all other employees—is set to change during the fall of 2025. The minimum wage for all employees in Florida is scheduled to increase to $14.00 per hour on September 30, 2025. For tipped employees, the minimum wage will be $10.98 per hour at that time. That change is happening as part of Florida’s state-level ongoing effort to incrementally raise the state minimum wage until it reaches $15.00 per hour by September 30, 2026. The tipped wage credit for employers will remain $3.02 per hour.
Get Help From Our Florida Wage and Hour Lawyer Today
Wage and hour law is complicated—especially so for tipped employees. If you have any specific questions or concerns about the minimum wage requirements for tipped workers in Florida, please do not hesitate to contact an experienced Florida wage and hour attorney today.