Tipping in Wyoming

Last reviewed October 2026

Wyoming Tipping Laws in 2026: Quick Facts

Federal minimum wage in effect since July 24, 2009

Wyoming Minimum Wage

$7.25 per hour (federal minimum wage; Wyoming's $5.15 state rate applies only to employers not covered by federal law)¹

Wyoming Tipped Minimum Wage

$2.13 per hour²³

Maximum Tip Credit

$5.12 per hour³

Who Qualifies as a Tipped Employee?

An employee who customarily and regularly receives more than $30 per month in tips³⁴

Are Tip Pools Allowed?

Yes, under federal rules⁴

Are Mandatory Service Charges Tips?

No⁴

Can Employers Keep Employee Tips?

No. Wyoming law says tips belong solely to the employee.²

Can Credit Card Fees Be Taken From Tips?

Yes, with limits. Employers can deduct only the actual card-processing percentage.²⁴

Wyoming has its own rules for wages and tips, and its Yellowstone tours, dude ranches, and Jackson Hole ski slopes create tipping situations many visitors may not be familiar with.

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

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

What Is Wyoming'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.

Wyoming's state minimum wage is $5.15 per hour, but most workers must be paid the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.¹ The state rate applies only to employers that aren't covered by federal law, which generally means businesses with less than $500,000 in annual sales that don't do business across state lines.²

Tipped employees can be paid a direct wage of $2.13 per hour, with the employer taking a tip credit of up to $5.12 per hour under federal law.³

If an employee's direct wages plus tips don't reach $7.25 per hour for the workweek, the employer must make up the difference.⁴ Before taking a tip credit, employers must tell employees how much they'll be paid and how the tip credit works.⁴

Who Owns Tips in Wyoming?

Wyoming law says tips and gratuities received by an employee belong solely to the employee.² Under federal law, employers, managers, and supervisors also cannot keep any part of employees' tips.⁴ Managers can keep only tips they receive directly for service they personally provide.

Are Tip Pools Allowed in Wyoming?

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

Yes. Wyoming has no specific tip pool law, so the federal rules apply:⁴

With a tip credit: When an employer pays the $2.13 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 Wyoming?

No. Wyoming 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.⁴

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?

Wyoming has no specific rule on credit card fees.² 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.⁴ It cannot deduct more than the transaction fee.

Tipping While Visiting Wyoming

Wyoming's national parks, ranches, and mountain towns create tipping situations many visitors haven't run into before. Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Jackson Hole draw millions of visitors each year.

Whether you're watching wildlife in Yellowstone or skiing in Jackson Hole, here are popular experiences where travelers often have questions about tipping.

Tours and Outdoor Adventures

Yellowstone and Grand Teton Tours

Guided wildlife safaris, bus tours, and photography tours are popular ways to see Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. Visitors often wonder how much to tip a guide on a full-day tour.

Do You Tip a Wildlife Tour Guide?
Do You Tip a Tour Guide?
Do You Tip a Bus Tour Driver?

Rafting, Fishing, and Climbing

Whitewater rafting on the Snake River, guided fly-fishing trips, and mountain climbing in the Tetons are popular summer adventures.

Do You Tip a Rafting Guide?
Do You Tip a Fishing Guide?
Do You Tip a Mountain Guide?

Hunting and Horseback Trips

Guided hunting trips and horseback pack trips into the backcountry are a Wyoming tradition. Outfitters and wranglers often rely on tips.

Do You Tip a Hunting Guide?
Do You Tip a Horseback Riding Guide?

Ranches

Dude Ranches

Wyoming is known for its dude and guest ranches, where many guests stay for a week. Guests often wonder whether to tip ranch staff and wranglers at the end of a stay.

Do You Tip at a Dude Ranch?

Winter Sports

Ski Resorts

Jackson Hole is known for steep, challenging terrain. Visitors often have questions about tipping ski instructors, rental shop techs, and lodge staff.

How Much Do You Tip a Ski Instructor?
Do You Tip a Ski Tech?
Do You Tip a Ski Valet?

Snowmobile and Dog Sled Tours

Guided snowmobile tours into Yellowstone and dog sled rides near Jackson are popular winter adventures.

Do You Tip a Snowmobile Guide?
Do You Tip on a Dog Sled Tour?

Lodging

Lodges, Hotels, and Cabins

From national park lodges to Jackson Hole resorts and mountain cabins, visitors often have questions about tipping hotel staff.

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

Food and Drink

Restaurants and Saloons

Restaurants and bars are the most familiar places to tip, from steakhouses to Western saloons in Jackson and Cody.

Restaurant Tipping
Bartender Tipping

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 Wyoming 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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