Tipping in Wisconsin

Last reviewed October 2026

Wisconsin Tipping Laws in 2026: Quick Facts

Rates in effect since July 24, 2009

Wisconsin Minimum Wage

$7.25 per hour (same as the federal minimum wage)¹

Wisconsin Tipped Minimum Wage

$2.33 per hour ($2.13 for opportunity employees)¹

Maximum Tip Credit

$4.92 per hour²

Who Qualifies as a Tipped Employee?

An employee who receives tips as part of their job¹

Are Tip Pools Allowed?

Yes, under federal rules³

Are Mandatory Service Charges Tips?

No³

Can Employers Keep Employee Tips?

No. Tips belong to employees, apart from lawful tip pools.³

Can Credit Card Fees Be Taken From Tips?

Yes, with limits. Employers can deduct only the actual card-processing percentage.³

Wisconsin has its own rules for wages and tips, and its Wisconsin Dells water parks, Door County fish boils, and Lake Michigan fishing charters create tipping situations many visitors may not be familiar with.

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

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

What Is Wisconsin'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.

Wisconsin's minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, the same as the federal rate.¹ Tipped employees must be paid a cash wage of at least $2.33 per hour, which is 20 cents more than the federal tipped wage.¹ That means the employer can take a tip credit of up to $4.92 per hour.²

Wisconsin has a lower tipped wage of $2.13 per hour for opportunity employees, which are young workers in their first weeks on the job.¹

If an employee's cash wage plus tips doesn't average at least $7.25 per hour over the pay period, the employer must make up the difference.¹

Who Owns Tips in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin has no specific rule on tip ownership. Under federal law, tips belong to the employee. Employers, managers, and supervisors cannot keep any part of employees' tips, whether or not the employer takes a tip credit.³ Managers can keep only tips they receive directly for service they personally provide.

Are Tip Pools Allowed in Wisconsin?

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

Yes. Wisconsin has no specific tip pool law, so the federal rules apply:³

With a tip credit: When an employer pays the $2.33 tipped wage, the pool can include only employees who customarily and regularly receive tips, such as servers, bartenders, and bussers.
Without a tip credit: When every employee is paid at least $7.25 per hour in direct wages, the pool can also include back-of-house staff, such as cooks and dishwashers.
Managers and owners are out. Managers, supervisors, and owners cannot take tips from the pool.

Are Service Charges Considered Tips in Wisconsin?

No. Wisconsin has no specific rule on service charges. Under federal law, a mandatory service charge, such as an automatic 18% added to a large party's bill, is not a tip.³

The difference comes down to customer choice. A tip is voluntary, and the customer decides how much to leave. A mandatory service charge is part of the required price, and the business decides how to distribute it.

Can Employers Take Credit Card Fees Out of Tips?

Wisconsin has no specific rule on credit card fees. Under federal law, an employer can deduct only the actual fee. If a card company charges the employer a percentage on each sale, the employer can reduce a card tip by that same percentage.³ It cannot deduct more than the transaction fee.

Tipping While Visiting Wisconsin

Wisconsin's lakes, supper clubs, and resort towns create tipping situations many visitors haven't run into before. The Wisconsin Dells, Door County, and Milwaukee's lakefront draw millions of visitors each year.

Whether you're spending a weekend in the Dells or fishing on Lake Michigan, here are popular experiences where travelers often have questions about tipping.

Tours and Outdoor Adventures

Fishing Charters

Salmon and trout charters on Lake Michigan are popular out of ports like Sheboygan, Kewaunee, and Door County. The first mate is often tipped separately from the captain.

Do You Tip a Fishing Charter Crew?
Do You Tip a Fishing Guide?

Boat Tours and Kayaking

Boat tours of the Dells, Apostle Islands sea cave kayaking, and Door County sailing cruises are popular in summer.

Do You Tip on a Boat Tour?
Do You Tip a Kayak Guide?

Brewery and Distillery Tours

Milwaukee's brewery tours and the state's craft breweries and distilleries are popular stops.

Do You Tip on a Brewery Tour?
Do You Tip on a Distillery Tour?

Water Parks and Resorts

Wisconsin Dells

The Wisconsin Dells is known as the Waterpark Capital of the World. Families often have questions about tipping at water park resorts, where food and drinks are ordered poolside or at a counter.

Do You Tip at a Water Park?
Do You Tip at a Resort?

Winter Sports

Snowmobiling and Ice Fishing

Northern Wisconsin has thousands of miles of snowmobile trails, and guided ice fishing trips are a winter tradition.

Do You Tip a Snowmobile Guide?
Do You Tip an Ice Fishing Guide?

Lodging

Lake Cabins, Resorts, and Hotels

Lake cabins in the Northwoods, Door County inns, and resort hotels are popular places to stay.

Do You Tip Cabin Rental Housekeeping?
Hotel Housekeeping
Bellhops
Valet Parking

Food and Drink

Supper Clubs, Fish Fries, and Fish Boils

Restaurants and bars are the most familiar places to tip. Wisconsin's supper clubs, Friday fish fries, and Door County fish boils are local traditions that many visitors want to try.

Restaurant Tipping
Bartender Tipping
Do You Tip at a Supper Club?

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 Wisconsin 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.

Sources

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Minimum Wage
U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees
U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Fact Sheet #15: Tipped Employees Under the FLSA