Free restaurant calculator
Massachusetts tipped wage make-up pay calculator
Free to use. Nothing you type leaves your browser. Figures checked against official sources on October 1, 2026. Estimates only, not legal or tax advice.
Enter your numbers
| Shift | Serving hours | Tips ($) | Needed | Make-up pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shift 1 | $0.00 | $0.00 | ||
| Shift 2 | $0.00 | $0.00 | ||
| Shift 3 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Result
Enter the hours and tips for at least one shift.
The formula
- Required for the shift = hours × $15.00
- Earned for the shift = hours × $6.75 + tips for that shift
- Make-up pay = required − earned, when the result is above zero
- Shifts are never averaged together
How to read the result
A good night does not cancel a bad one. If Tuesday lunch falls short by $11.25, that amount is owed on the next paycheck even if Saturday dinner cleared the minimum several times over.
Enter serving hours only. Hours spent on side work such as prep and cleaning are paid at the full $15.00 and are not covered by tips, so leave them out of this check and pay them separately.
The service rate is allowed only when its conditions are met, including written notice to the employee. If they are not, every hour is owed at $15.00.
Massachusetts rules
The rules behind the numbers
How do I check that a server's tips brought them up to $15?
Shift by shift. Since January 1, 2019, the employer must compare the service rate plus tips against the minimum wage at the end of each shift, and add any shortfall to the next paycheck. A busy Saturday cannot average out a slow Tuesday.
Full answer and official sourceWhen can a Massachusetts restaurant pay the $6.75 tipped service rate?
Only when all of these are true: you told the employee about the rule in writing, they customarily receive more than $20 a month in tips, they keep all their tips or receive them through a lawful tip pool, and the $6.75 plus their tips reaches at least $15.00 an hour. If any condition fails, you pay the full $15.00.
Full answer and official sourceCan servers be paid $6.75 for prep, cleaning or other side work?
No. The Department of Labor Standards says hours a tipped employee spends on non-tipped work, such as kitchen prep or cleaning, must be paid at least the full $15.00, and tips earned during serving hours cannot be used to cover them.
Full answer and official sourceCan a new server be paid the service rate while training?
No. A new hire who receives no tips during training is not a tipped employee yet, so those hours are paid at the full $15.00. What your other servers make in tips does not count toward the trainee.
Full answer and official sourceWhat is the Massachusetts minimum wage for restaurant workers in 2026?
$15.00 an hour, the rate in force since January 1, 2023. It applies statewide, to full-time and part-time staff alike. Tipped staff can be paid a lower $6.75 service rate only when strict conditions are met.
Full answer and official source
Rules checked against official sources on . General information, not legal or tax advice.
Common questions
How much do tips have to be for a server to reach minimum wage in Massachusetts?
At the $6.75 service rate, a server needs $8.25 in tips for every hour of the shift to reach $15.00. A five-hour shift needs $41.25 in tips. Anything less is made up by the employer.
Can I average a server's tips over the week?
No. Since January 1, 2019, Massachusetts employers compare the service rate plus tips with the minimum wage at the end of each shift and add any shortfall to the next paycheck.
Your restaurant remains the employer of record and approves payroll and employment decisions. BOHO is not a PEO, a staffing agency, or legal counsel. A calculator gives an estimate from the numbers you enter. Confirm anything that affects pay or taxes with your payroll provider, attorney or tax adviser.
Want these numbers checked every pay cycle?
Your restaurant remains the employer of record and approves payroll and employment decisions. BOHO is not a PEO, a staffing agency, or legal counsel.