Oklahoma tip pooling laws & tipped minimum wage
In Oklahoma, 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 Oklahoma labor department. Not legal advice.
Oklahoma follows the federal floor and bars cities from raising it
Oklahoma does not set its own higher minimum wage. It uses the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour, and the tipped cash wage is the federal $2.13, with the employer taking a tip credit of up to $5.12 as long as your tips bring you to at least $7.25.
A 2014 state law preempts local wage rules: Oklahoma cities and counties cannot set their own minimum wage or mandate benefits above the state figure. The law followed an effort to raise wages in Oklahoma City, which the statute effectively shut down. As a result, the tipped cash wage is $2.13 everywhere in the state.
If your tips do not reach $7.25, your employer owes the difference
The $2.13 cash wage is only lawful when your tips make up the rest. In any workweek where your cash wage plus tips do not average at least $7.25 an hour, your employer must pay the shortfall in that paycheck.
Because Oklahoma mirrors federal law, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is the agency that enforces these tipped-wage rules for most workers in the state.
Tip pooling in Oklahoma
Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma 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.
Oklahoma tip law FAQs
What is the tipped minimum wage in Oklahoma?
Employers in Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma?
Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma?
No. Federal law prohibits managers, supervisors, and owners from keeping any portion of employee tips in every state, including Oklahoma. A manager may keep only tips they directly and solely earned (e.g., a table they personally served start to finish).
Can an Oklahoma city set a higher minimum or tipped wage?
No. A 2014 Oklahoma law preempts local minimum-wage and benefit ordinances, so no city or county can require pay above the state figure. The tipped cash wage stays $2.13 statewide.
Is Oklahoma’s tipped wage going to increase soon?
Not automatically. Oklahoma follows the federal $7.25 minimum and $2.13 tipped wage, which change only if Congress acts. A 2026 ballot measure to raise the state minimum was rejected by voters, so the current rates remain in place.