How much do waiters/waitresses at WDW make?

[msce2]

I'm just curious if it depends on the state you live in? When I worked in a restaurant the waiters were paid a flat rate plus tips, however if it was slow, the restaurant was required to make sure they at least made min wage per hour. They did have to share tips with the busser, but it was only like $10 a night from each of the waiters. Maybe it's just different at every restaurant. I was just a hostess and didn't get tipped.

Hats off to those who have done it. I could never work with people and food.

 

[tar heel]

We had truly wonderful older woman as our server at the character breakfast at the beach club a few years ago. She not only did a great job as a server but she was as much a part of the show in our little area of tables as Chip, Dale and Goofy. They tied coffee cups to her apron strings, and she called them "the boys." Breakfast was ending by the time we left, and I had a nice conversation with her. She said she was a widow with young children when she started working at WDW and that it had been a wonderful career that enabled her to raise her children and send them all to college. She definitely implied she was very happy with her pay. I think we left about 25% trip, too.

I think buffets could be dicey b/c some people think tip is included. My mother worked at a famous country style place for a few years, and her tips were all over the board. They sometimes had groups that left absolutely nothing, and I felt that they thought it was included in their all-you-can price. They did not add tip on no matter how big the group, and they had many bus tours.

 

[andrews_dad]

I know a CM at one of the sit-down rest in HS. On Fantasmic nights he is hopping, but he isn't pulling in for what you guess. No way he pulls down 80-100K a year. You folks need to lower that number by a few dozen K's!

 

[Feisty Fairy]

My DH works at CG as a server and no one there makes $100k a year! He is part time and we live comfortably but it is no where near that. Some full time servers at the high end and very popular restaurants can make 75k-80k, but not more then that.

That is still almost triple what a Police Officer makes. About 2.5X.

 

[Abbeys_mom]

That is still almost triple what a Police Officer makes. About 2.5X.

Are you sure about that? This says the national average is $50k, and easily can vary by location.
http://www1.salary.com/police-officer-Salary.html

The cops in our area make WAY more than the median salary. It is a huge issue here, as they can collect 90% pay at age 50 in retirement. It has been in our papers for months. Before all the cop's families cry foul, I wanted to point out that the Feisty was off on her math, and that there are some serious issues with the way the collective bargaining has gone. Yes, it is a dangerous job, yes I get the need, however, 90% of the last five years salary average to "retire" at age 50? Really? How on earth did a city council think that was sustainable?

DH was a fine dining server for 10 years before he finished his masters and is now a fine dining manager. Servers in our area can make $50-$80k, but it is seasonal and hard physical work. He loved it, and is still in the industry. It takes discipline to save for the slow seasons/nights and not just spend it all when you got it.

 

[Feisty Fairy]

Are you sure about that? This says the national average is $50k, and easily can vary by location.
http://www1.salary.com/police-officer-Salary.html

The cops in our area make WAY more than the median salary. It is a huge issue here, as they can collect 90% pay at age 50 in retirement. It has been in our papers for months. Before all the cop's families cry foul, I wanted to point out that the Feisty was off on her math, and that there are some serious issues with the way the collective bargaining has gone. Yes, it is a dangerous job, yes I get the need, however, 90% of the last five years salary average to "retire" at age 50? Really? How on earth did a city council think that was sustainable?

DH was a fine dining server for 10 years before he finished his masters and is now a fine dining manager. Servers in our area can make $50-$80k, but it is seasonal and hard physical work. He loved it, and is still in the industry. It takes discipline to save for the slow seasons/nights and not just spend it all when you got it.

My husband is a police officer and in our area they do not make that much. I get that waitressing or waiters have a hard job and they deserve the pay and tips they get if not more. So please do not misinterpreter what I am saying.

Just as he is the only one working we can not afford to tip more than 20 dollars a meal. We usually average a 10-20 (I have went as high as a little above 30) tip per dinner depending on service and price of our meal. We try to make it at least 15% good service, 18-20% for exceptional service. I do not see paying more than 20%. But I also try and be considerate and clean up after myself. Like if I spill something on the table I will wipe it up and not make the wait staff do it. The only time we eat out at table service restaurant is at WDW (at home our form of eating out is subway or a frozen yogurt) and I would hate for it to get to a point where I feel like oh I can not afford to tip 40+ so I can not experience the nicer restaurants that WDW has to offer.

 

[tower_of_terror_luvr]

In florida there is a server minimum wage and its is quite high compared to other states like $6.80 compared to south carolinas $3.00

 

[smidgy]

Still on the tipping subject, how much is the tip supposed to be now?
I have to admit that I generally still use the 15%, and then add a little extra.Mainly because 15% is easy to figure up in your head, where as 18% requires some figuring.

ya know what's easier to figure out than 15%? 20%!

 

[worm761]

In florida there is a server minimum wage and its is quite high compared to other states like $6.80 compared to south carolinas $3.00

Actually, it is $4.23 per hour for tipped employees and $7.25 for non tipped employees. So your waiter/waitress is only making $4 an hour plus tips.

Source: http://www.floridajobs.org/minimumwage/index.htm and I used to run a restaurant until I quit to be a stay home mom a few years ago.

 

[MiaSRN62]

I waitressed while in college (back in 80's). My past experience, and present with those I know that waitress now, is that they rarely get 40 hours of work a week. So what they make an hour, might only be divided out over 24-34 hours/week as an example. I recall most dinner shifts I was staffed for maybe 4-6 hours at most. And we did have to split our tips with bussers, and then pay tax on what we made too. I made $2.01 back in 1983-85.

We tip 20% for good service.....more if excellent. And about 15% for less than average service.

 

[collegejunkie]

i don't know if this helps, but servers on the college program do not get tips. they are only paid hourly (though it's more than the $4 minimum or whatever someone posted on this thread). so if your server is on the program, they're not seeing any of your tip money. my friend is doing the program now and her roommate is a server and told her that, so i'm sorry if it's wrong, but that's what i was told.

 

[Trinity524]

In florida there is a server minimum wage and its is quite high compared to other states like $6.80 compared to south carolinas $3.00

Not true. I made 2.13 an hour as a server in Jacksonville, FL.

 

[Swimalie]

My husband is a police officer and in our area they do not make that much. I get that waitressing or waiters have a hard job and they deserve the pay and tips they get if not more. So please do not misinterpreter what I am saying.
.

I agree. My husband was a police officer when we met and not part of a union. He was making $30k after 9 years with the police department. The chief only made $60k back then (this was 9 years ago). I'm sure it has gone up a bit, but not much. We moved on to a better paying job but still working with law enforcement.

 

[Marionnette]

I have to wonder why someone would bump a zombie thread from two years ago?

 

[dvcgirl]

My DH works at CG as a server and no one there makes $100k a year! He is part time and we live comfortably but it is no where near that. Some full time servers at the high end and very popular restaurants can make 75k-80k, but not more then that.

And they absolutely deserve it. The servers at the signature Disney restaurants are usually very good. I've never anything but a very good meal at the CG and the service has always been fabulous. Those servers work their tails off.....

 

[java]

Some of the servers that work at the busy signature restaurants (Cali Grill) have been there for 20 years and make around $100K a year....

They were the best servers we have ever had. Hmm maybe I should be witnessing(edit to correct the auto spell on the ipad I meant waitressing!). I did it in college and it was exhausting(worked in an Irish bar,funny tha t I was recognized at Disney by one of my former customers,25 years later) but the money was great.

 

[herdtoDisney]

I always leave a tip wherever we go, but I have a hard time figureing out percentages, like some others have posted-a great help is on your cell phone, under 'tools' is the tip calculator, it figures it. On my phone, when you go to calculator, it has 'normal' (which is a regular calculator) and 'tip' which is the one that figures tips.

 

[sjaakie]

We always tip 20% no matter what.
I always feel pain in my hart for waiting staff when I see the disgusting behavior of "snowflakes" at a restaurant and the parents do nothing to control there kids.
The waiting staff has to clean up the mess,listen to the parents complaining and in the mean while "snowy" is terrorizing the whole restaurant.
Poor waitress "Jane" is treated like a slave for a few dollars by many guests and in the mean while she can't pay the medicine bill for her own children.
Wait staff deserves a front place in heaven.

 

[sdbbcampbell]

Hi there all. I have been in the "business" ALL my life. It can be a very lucrative job through tips if you are in the right house....but....Many people don't realize the taxes of serving/bartending. All charge tips are taxed (as they should be), and all sales are taxed. Meaning that 8% of the total sale of your check is added in to your server and they pay taxes on that. If you have a table that "stiffs" you, it is actually costing you money to serve them. Also, there has been a conflict on bottles of wine, I know many people feel they don't need to tip on a bottle of wine, if you don't, your server is then paying taxes on it to serve it to you. So I always say if you don't wish to tip on an expensive bottle, always tip 8% of the cost, so you cover that tax. I love this field, and I love serving a good product, and fine wine, I am not complaing, hoping just to add some explanation. Have great Disney Days

 

[mtblujeans]

When I worked at Le Cellier we made $2.50.hr. We tipped out our food runners and the bussers.

My DH is in the business of people and employment and he frequently has conversations with CMs when we are at WDW, asking about their wages and any benefits. He has found that alot of the CMs are working for no wages but are in an internship program. I don't know if that includes wait staff, tho'. It gave us both a whole new outlook on all of the CMs we encountered.

ETA: I see this has already been addressed. I NEED to read the whole thread before responding!