What is the minimum cash wage for tipped employees in West Virginia in 2017?

The minimum cash wage is $2.62 per hour. West Virginia allows employers a tip credit, so the cash wage plus reported tips must equal the full state minimum wage.

Did the tipped cash wage change from 2016 to 2017?

No. The minimum cash wage for tipped employees remained $2.62 per hour in both 2016 and 2017.

2017 West Virginia Tipped Minimum Wage

Name: 2017 West Virginia Tipped Minimum Wage
Creator: DOL

The 2017 West Virginia Tipped Minimum Wage is $2.62.

Minimum cash wage$2.62

Effective 2017-01-01Source: Minimum Wage FAQ (West Virginia Division of Labor)Verified 2026-09-01

Compared with 2016

Every figure on this page is unchanged from 2016.

Item	2016	2017	Change
Minimum cash wage	$2.62	$2.62	+$0 (+0.0%)

Who it applies to

Employers of tipped service employees in West Virginia covered by state minimum wage requirements

What changed this year, and why

West Virginia's tipped minimum cash wage for 2017

Common questions

What is the minimum cash wage for tipped employees in West Virginia in 2017?: The minimum cash wage is $2.62 per hour. West Virginia allows employers a tip credit, so the cash wage plus reported tips must equal the full state minimum wage.
Did the tipped cash wage change from 2016 to 2017?: No. The minimum cash wage for tipped employees remained $2.62 per hour in both 2016 and 2017.

Who counts as a tipped employee

Under West Virginia law, tipped employees are defined as service employees who receive tips. When a worker meets this definition, the employer is allowed to take a tip credit equal to 70% of the state minimum wage. This means the employer may pay the employee a cash wage as low as $2.62 per hour, provided that the employee's hourly cash wage plus their reported tips add up to at least the full state minimum wage of $8.75 per hour for every hour worked. If the combined total falls short in any pay period, the employer is required to make up the difference so the worker receives at least $8.75 per hour. The rule applies to employers who meet the six-employee threshold at a separate, distinct, and permanent work location in West Virginia. Employers who do not meet that threshold may be subject to federal rules instead, under which a different minimum cash wage applies; workers in those situations should contact the United States Department of Labor for guidance.

West Virginia’s minimum wage standards allow employers a 70% credit against the minimum wage requirement for their service employees that receive tips. That means an employer may pay his or her tipped employees a cash wage of $2.62 per hour, as long as the employee’s hourly cash rate, plus reported tips, equal $8.75 per hour.
Minimum Wage FAQ (West Virginia Division of Labor)

What a tip credit is, and the cash wage underneath it

In West Virginia, employers can claim a tip credit against the minimum wage requirement for service employees who receive tips. The tip credit represents the difference between the direct cash wage paid to the employee and the full minimum wage. Currently, employers must pay tipped employees a cash wage of at least $2.62 per hour, and they can count the employee's tips toward meeting the remaining minimum wage obligation. This means the employer is only required to pay $2.62 per hour directly from their own funds, with the expectation that tips will make up the rest. The tip credit system allows employers to reduce their cash wage costs while ensuring employees receive at least the minimum wage when combining their cash wages and tips.

West Virginia’s minimum wage standards allow employers a 70% credit against the minimum wage requirement for their service employees that receive tips.
Minimum Wage FAQ (West Virginia Division of Labor)

When the tips do not get you to the minimum wage

In West Virginia, if your employer pays you a cash wage of $2.62 per hour and takes a tip credit, your tips plus that cash wage must add up to at least the full state minimum wage each hour. If in any given hour your tips fall short of making up that gap, your employer is required to pay the difference. This rule protects you from earning less than the minimum wage simply because business was slow or customers were not generous. The employer cannot assume that your tips will always cover the shortfall—each hour is calculated separately, and the employer must ensure you receive at least the full minimum wage for every hour you work, regardless of how much you actually earned in tips during that time.

That means an employer may pay his or her tipped employees a cash wage of $2.62 per hour, as long as the employee’s hourly cash rate, plus reported tips, equal $8.75 per hour.
Minimum Wage FAQ (West Virginia Division of Labor)

The notice an employer owes you before it takes the credit

In West Virginia, before an employer can take a tip credit against the minimum wage, they must have written tip records completed by the employee. This documentation requirement ensures there is a clear record of the tips the employee actually received. If the employer does not have these written tip records from the employee, they cannot claim the tip credit and must pay the employee the full minimum wage instead of the reduced cash wage. This rule protects employees by requiring employers to maintain proper documentation before reducing their cash wage below the standard minimum. Without written records of tips received, the employer loses the right to use the tip credit and must pay the full minimum wage rate.

In order to take a credit against the minimum wage for tips, the employer must have written tip records completed by the employee.
Minimum Wage FAQ (West Virginia Division of Labor)

When state law gives more than the federal rule

In West Virginia, when both state and federal minimum wage laws could apply to your situation, you are entitled to whichever standard provides the greater protection. This means if the state minimum wage is higher than the federal minimum wage, you receive the state rate, and if the federal rate is higher, you receive the federal rate. For tipped employees in West Virginia, the state requires a cash wage of $2.62 per hour, which is higher than the federal tipped minimum wage. Because the state standard is more protective, it applies to employers covered by state law. However, if an employer does not meet the state coverage requirements, federal law may apply instead, and employees would need to contact the U.S. Department of Labor to determine their rights under federal standards.

Should the employer not meet the condition of having six employees at any one separate, distinct and permanent work location to fall under state minimum wage requirements, the federal tip credit of $2.13 per hour may apply.
Minimum Wage FAQ (West Virginia Division of Labor)

Your employer, your manager and your supervisor may not keep your tips

In West Virginia, employers are prohibited from keeping any portion of their employees' tips. While state law allows employers to establish tip pooling arrangements where tips are shared among eligible employees, the employer themselves cannot receive or retain any share of those tips under any circumstances. This protection ensures that tips earned by employees actually go to the employees who provided the service, not to the business owners or management. The law is very specific that only employees who are eligible to receive tips may participate in a tip pool or tip sharing situation. Employers who violate this rule by taking a portion of employee tips are subject to enforcement action and must return those improperly withheld funds to the employees.

Under no circumstances may the employer receive a share of any tips.
Minimum Wage FAQ (West Virginia Division of Labor)

Which tip pools you can be made to join

In West Virginia, tip pooling arrangements are limited to employees who are eligible to receive tips in their job duties. State law is very specific about which employees can participate in tip pools or tip sharing situations. Only workers whose occupations customarily involve receiving tips can be included in these arrangements. This means that employees who do not regularly receive tips as part of their job, such as back-of-house staff or managers, cannot be part of a tip pool. The law ensures that tip sharing only occurs among front-line service employees who typically earn gratuities from customers. Employers must ensure their tip pooling policies comply with these eligibility requirements and cannot force non-tipped employees to share in tips or require tipped employees to share with those who are not eligible.

Only those employees that are eligible to receive tips may be included in a tip pool, or tip sharing situation.
Minimum Wage FAQ (West Virginia Division of Labor)

Doing two jobs for one employer

In West Virginia, when an employee works in multiple roles for the same employer, some involving tips and some not, the tip credit only applies to the hours worked in the tipped occupation. The employer can claim a 70% credit against the minimum wage requirement for service employees who receive tips, but this credit only applies during time spent in the tipped role. For example, if an employee works as a server earning tips for part of their shift and in a non-tipped position for another part, the reduced cash wage of $2.62 per hour only applies to the server hours. During non-tipped work hours, the employer must pay the full minimum wage without using the tip credit. This ensures employees receive proper compensation for all work performed, with the tip credit limited to occupations where they customarily and regularly receive gratuities.