Kansas tip pooling laws & tipped minimum wage
In Kansas, employers can pay tipped workers $2.13/hr as long as tips bring them to the $7.25 minimum — here's how that works and who can legally share your tips.
| Regular minimum wage | $7.25/hr |
| Minimum cash wage for tipped workers | $2.13/hr |
| Maximum tip credit | $5.12/hr |
| Tips belong to | Employees — always |
A tip credit lets an employer count your tips toward the minimum wage it owes you. Rates reviewed July 2026. Rates change — confirm with the Kansas labor department. Not legal advice.
Kansas mirrors the federal tipped wage
Kansas sets its minimum wage at the federal $7.25 an hour. Under the Kansas Minimum Wage and Maximum Hours Law, an employer may pay a tipped worker a cash wage of $2.13 and claim a tip credit of up to $5.12, as long as your tips bring the total to at least $7.25 an hour.
Kansas law lets an employer count tips toward the minimum wage only if those tips have customarily been part of your pay and you actually received and kept them. Tips you are forced to hand over to the house cannot be counted against what you are owed.
One statewide rate — cities cannot raise it
Kansas reserves wage regulation to the state. No city, county, or other local government in Kansas may set a minimum wage or tip-credit rule that differs from state law, so the $2.13 tipped cash wage is the same in Wichita, Kansas City, Topeka, and everywhere else in the state.
If your tips do not reach $7.25, your employer owes the difference
The tip credit is not permission to underpay you. In any workweek where your $2.13 cash wage plus tips do not average at least $7.25 an hour, your employer must pay the shortfall. If it does not, you can file a claim with the Kansas Department of Labor.
Tip pooling in Kansas
Kansas follows the federal baseline: employers may require tip pooling. If your employer takes the tip credit (pays $2.13/hr cash), the pool may only include customarily tipped workers — servers, bussers, bartenders, runners, hosts. Back-of-house can only be included if everyone is paid full minimum wage with no tip credit. Managers and supervisors are always excluded.
One federal rule applies everywhere: managers and supervisors can never take from a tip pool. Separately, credit card processing fees may only be deducted from tips where state law allows it.
What this means for your tip-out
Because part of your legal wage in Kansas comes from tips, the employer's tip credit assumes those tips reached you. Use the tip-out calculator to split a shift by your house's percentages or by hours, and see standard tip-out percentages to check whether your house's rates are typical.
Kansas tip law FAQs
What is the tipped minimum wage in Kansas?
Employers in Kansas may pay tipped employees a cash wage of $2.13/hr and claim a tip credit of up to $5.12/hr toward the $7.25 minimum wage. If tips don't close the gap in a workweek, the employer must make up the difference.
Is mandatory tip pooling legal in Kansas?
Kansas follows the federal baseline: employers may require tip pooling. If your employer takes the tip credit (pays $2.13/hr cash), the pool may only include customarily tipped workers — servers, bussers, bartenders, runners, hosts. Back-of-house can only be included if everyone is paid full minimum wage with no tip credit. Managers and supervisors are always excluded.
Can my manager take a share of the tip pool in Kansas?
No. Federal law prohibits managers, supervisors, and owners from keeping any portion of employee tips in every state, including Kansas. A manager may keep only tips they directly and solely earned (e.g., a table they personally served start to finish).
Can a Kansas city set a higher tipped minimum wage?
No. Kansas law reserves the power to set minimum-wage and wage-related rules to the state, so no city or county can require a higher tipped cash wage. It stays $2.13 statewide.
Can my employer count tips I had to share with the house?
No. Kansas law only lets an employer count tips that you actually received and retained. Tips you were required to turn over to the employer cannot be used to meet the minimum wage.