Tipped Employee Wages

(Washington, D.C.) I thought this story was interesting and it supports a belief I have that people who pursue careers as waiters and waitresses should never be denigrated as unskilled, low wage earners. According to a nationwide survey, the National Restaurant Association announced recently that, with tips, the average hourly wage for entry level waiters and waitresses is over $17.00 per hour. Experienced workers can expect to earn an average wage over $22.00 per hour. On a regional basis, experienced wait staff on the West Coast earn an average of more than $26.00 per hour. According to Lee Culpepper, the National Restaurant Association's senior vice president of Government Affairs and Public Policy

"These figures confirm what restaurant owners and employees already know � that wait staff positions are not just flexible, but well-paying as well. This underscores the fact that the restaurant industry is truly one of opportunity for everyone."

Other factors to consider are that workers in restaurants are customarily given their meals and, due to generally unexplained arithmetic malfunctions, workers usually benefit from not being taxed on all tips received.

Nationally, 1,000 restaurants, 763 of which were full service, were sampled in the March 2004 survey.