The minimum wage for tipped restaurant workers in New York City is $16.50 per hour, which is a combined rate of a minimum cash wage of $11.00 per hour and a tip credit of up to $5.50 per hour. If an employee's tips plus the cash wage do not equal at least $16.50 per hour, the employer must make up the difference. It applies to both large and small employers in NYC, Long Island, and Westchester County.

Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist from Queens who is running for mayor, wants to raise New York City’s minimum wage to $30 an hour by 2030.

He contends that the city needs to be a leader and set a minimum wage that better meets New Yorkers’ needs as the cost of living explodes, straining wallets and driving many from their homes and the city itself.

At what point do tips become superfluous if the higher wages are already buried in the price of food in restaurants and other services?

Jeff