Tipping in New York

Quick Facts: New York

Avg worker expectation5%-5%

Do workers expect tips?Yes · 100% of workers

Tipping in New York

Last reviewed October 2026

New York Tipping Laws in 2026: Quick Facts

Effective January 1, 2026

New York Minimum Wage

$17.00 per hour in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester; $16.00 per hour in the rest of the state¹

New York Tipped Minimum Wage

Food service workers: $11.35 (NYC area) or $10.70 (rest of state). Other service employees: $14.15 or $13.30.¹

Maximum Tip Credit

Food service workers: $5.65 or $5.30. Other service employees: $2.85 or $2.70.¹

Who Qualifies as a Tipped Employee?

In hotels and restaurants, an employee who regularly receives tips, such as a server, bartender, or busser²

Are Tip Pools Allowed?

Yes, but only among food service workers who serve customers directly²

Are Mandatory Service Charges Tips?

Yes, unless the business clearly tells customers otherwise²

Can Employers Keep Employee Tips?

No²

Can Credit Card Fees Be Taken From Tips?

Yes, but only the employee's share of the processing fee²

New York has its own rules for wages and tips, and its New York City restaurants and hotels, Niagara Falls, and Finger Lakes wineries create tipping situations many visitors may not be familiar with.

Work in New York? Learn about New York's tipping laws, minimum wage, tip pools, and your rights when it comes to tips.

Visiting New York? Explore popular New York experiences where tipping is common and see what customers and workers report about tipping.

What Is New York's Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees?

A tip credit lets an employer count part of an employee's tips toward the minimum wage, so it can pay a lower hourly wage as long as tips make up the difference.

New York's minimum wage depends on the region: $17.00 per hour in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester, and $16.00 per hour in the rest of the state. Rates stay the same on January 1, 2027.¹

Only hotels and restaurants can use a tip credit. Most other industries must pay the full minimum wage.³ The hospitality tip credit has two levels:¹

Region

Food Service Workers (cash wage + tip credit)

Other Service Employees (cash wage + tip credit)

NYC, Long Island, and Westchester

$11.35 + $5.65

$14.15 + $2.85

Rest of New York State

$10.70 + $5.30

$13.30 + $2.70

Food service workers, such as servers and bartenders, mainly serve food or drinks to customers and regularly receive tips.² Employers can't take the tip credit on any day a tipped worker spends more than 2 hours, or more than 20% of the shift, on non-tipped work.³

Who Owns Tips in New York?

In New York, employers can't take any part of employees' tips, and they can't deduct breakage, customer walkouts, or cash shortages from wages.²

Are Tip Pools Allowed in New York?

A tip pool is an arrangement where employees' tips are combined and shared among a group, such as servers, bussers, and bartenders.

Yes, with limits:²

Only service staff. Only employees who serve customers personally as a main part of their job can share in a pool, such as servers, bussers, bartenders, barbacks, food runners, and hosts. Job duties matter, not job titles.
Reasonable shares. An employer can't require tipped employees to give up more of their tips than is customary and reasonable.
Managers and owners are out. Under federal law, managers, supervisors, and owners cannot take tips from the pool.⁴

Are Service Charges Considered Tips in New York?

Usually, yes. New York presumes that a charge added to a bill for food, drinks, or lodging, including any charge labeled "service" or "food service," is a tip. It must go to staff in full.²

A business can add an administrative charge and keep it only if it clearly tells customers the charge isn't a tip. The notice must appear on the menu and the bill in plain language and at least 12-point type.²

Can Employers Take Credit Card Fees Out of Tips?

Yes, but only the employee's share. When a customer tips by card, the employer must pay the full tip, minus only the employee's pro-rated share of the card processing fee.²

Tipping While Visiting New York

New York City alone creates more tipping situations than many visitors are used to, from hotel doormen to coat checks to food carts. Beyond the city, Niagara Falls, the Finger Lakes, and the Adirondacks draw visitors year-round.

Whether you're spending a weekend in Manhattan or touring wine country upstate, here are popular experiences where travelers often have questions about tipping.

New York City

Hotels and Doormen

New York City hotels often have doormen who hail cabs and help with bags, along with bellhops and concierges who can get reservations and show tickets. Visitors often aren't sure whom to tip and how much.

Do You Tip a Doorman?
Bellhops
Hotel Concierge
Hotel Housekeeping
Room Service

Theaters, Clubs, and Coat Checks

Broadway shows, jazz clubs, and comedy clubs are a big part of a New York trip. Coat checks at restaurants, clubs, and museums raise another common question.

Do You Tip at a Coat Check?
Bartender Tipping

Taxis and Car Services

Yellow cabs, car services, and rideshares are how many visitors get around the city.

Do You Tip a Taxi Driver?

Tour Guides

Walking tours, bus tours, and harbor cruises past the Statue of Liberty are popular ways to see the city.

Do You Tip a Tour Guide?
Do You Tip a Boat Tour Captain?

Upstate and Long Island

Niagara Falls Boat Tours

Boat tours to the base of Niagara Falls are one of the state's most famous attractions. Visitors often wonder whether the crew expects a tip.

Do You Tip on a Niagara Falls Boat Tour?

Wine Country

The Finger Lakes and Long Island's North Fork are known for wineries. Visitors often wonder whether to tip a tasting room host when they've already paid a tasting fee.

Do You Tip at a Winery?
Do You Tip a Wine Tour Driver?

Adirondacks and Outdoor Guides

Guided hikes, fishing trips, and paddling trips in the Adirondacks and Catskills are popular in summer and fall, and Lake Placid and Whiteface Mountain draw skiers in winter.

Do You Tip a Hiking Guide?
Do You Tip a Fishing Guide?
Do You Tip a Ski Instructor?

Horse Racing

Saratoga Race Course's summer season draws racing fans from across the country.

Do You Tip at the Racetrack?

Food and Drink

Restaurants, Bars, and Food Carts

Restaurants and bars are the most familiar places to tip. In New York, a charge labeled "service" generally goes to staff, so check your bill before adding more. Food carts, delis, and coffee counters add situations where you may see a tip prompt at the counter.

Restaurant Tipping
Do You Tip at a Food Cart?
Do You Tip for Counter Service?

What Customers and Workers Report

Tipping customs and expectations don't always match people's real-life behavior.

TippingGuide.com collects feedback from both customers and workers to show the two sides of tipping.

Our Customer and Worker Averages compare what customers report tipping for average service with what workers report expecting to receive.

Explore the categories above to see what customers and workers report for different services and tipping situations.

Information about New York wage and tipping laws is provided for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Laws, regulations, and minimum wages can change. This information was last reviewed in October 2026.

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