City Tipped Wage Overrides (2026)

Name: US Tipping Guide by Industry Dataset 2026
Creator: tipfig
Published: 2026-01-01

A city minimum wage can sit above the state rate. In no-tip-credit states (Washington, California, Oregon), tipped workers earn the full city minimum wage. In tip-credit jurisdictions (D.C., New York), the tipped cash wage is lower than the combined total. Here are the major U.S. cities where the local rate changes the math.

Why this matters: Many of the highest-cost U.S. cities sit in no-tip-credit states, so their tipped workers are entitled to the full (and often much higher) local minimum wage — not the federal $2.13/hr tipped floor.

Seattle (WA)

$21.30 / hr

Washington has no tip credit, so tipped employees earn the full Seattle minimum wage — $21.30/hr in 2026.

All employers pay the same rate regardless of size (OLS, effective Jan 1, 2026).

Source: Seattle Office of Labor Standards (seattle.gov/laborstandards)

San Francisco (CA)

$19.61 / hr

California has no tip credit, so tipped employees earn the full San Francisco minimum wage — $19.61/hr (effective July 1, 2026).

Adjusted annually by CPI; a small 'government-supported employee' rate also applies.

Source: San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement (sf.gov)

Portland (metro) (OR)

$16.80 / hr

Oregon has no tip credit, so tipped employees in the Portland metro earn the full $16.80/hr standard rate.

Oregon varies by region: $16.80 metro, $15.55 standard, $14.55 nonurban (DOL, July 1, 2026).

Source: Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries / U.S. DOL

Washington, D.C. (DC)

$18.40 combined

D.C. allows a tip credit. The combined cash-plus-tip minimum is $18.40/hr, but the tipped cash wage is $10.30/hr (employer takes up to an $8.10 credit).

D.C. tipped-wage rules have been in legislative transition; verify the current schedule with D.C. Wage-Hour.

Source: U.S. DOL Wage and Hour Division (July 1, 2026)

New York City (NY)

$17.00 combined (NYC)

New York allows a tip credit. In NYC/Long Island/Westchester the full minimum is $17.00/hr, with separate cash-wage schedules by occupation (e.g., food service ~$11.00/hr cash). The rest of the state is $16.00/hr.

Tipped cash wage varies by industry — check the NY State Department of Labor rate schedule for your sector.

Source: U.S. DOL Wage and Hour Division / NY State DOL

Tip-credit vs. no-tip-credit cities

No tip credit (full city wage): Seattle, San Francisco, Portland — tipped = full local minimum.
Tip credit (lower cash wage): Washington D.C., New York City — employer pays a lower cash wage and counts tips toward the minimum.

Data sources & methodology

Seattle Office of Labor Standards2026 minimum wage $21.30/hr, effective January 1, 2026 (seattle.gov/laborstandards/ordinances/minimum-wage).
San Francisco OLSEMinimum Wage Ordinance: $19.61/hr effective July 1, 2026 (sf.gov/information/minimum-wage-ordinance).
U.S. DOL — Wage and Hour DivisionTable of Minimum Hourly Wages for Tipped Employees, by State Jurisdiction (July 1, 2026); retrieved 2026-08-09.
Oregon / New York State Departments of LaborRegional and occupational tipped-wage schedules.

Methodology and citations are maintained by the TipFig editorial team. Where an official schedule is not yet loaded, results are shown as model estimates and the source is stated as a reference.

This page is informational and not legal advice. Local wage ordinances change frequently and may carry carve-outs by employer size or industry. Always confirm the current rate with the city agency listed above before making payroll or compliance decisions.