Hiring Servers in Chicago involves navigating local wage laws and compensation norms while conducting targeted interviews.
Employers seeking to enhance their hiring outcomes may find valuable insights in how to hire a Server or a Waiter: top 8 tips.
This guide covers key wage requirements, compensation insights and practical tips to hire servers successfully.
Understanding Server Wage Requirements in Chicago
Chicago enforces distinct minimum wage standards for tipped and non-tipped employees that employers must follow when hiring Servers.
As of July 1, 2025, the minimum wage for non-tipped employees is $16.60 per hour, while the minimum wage for tipped employees is $12.62 per hour.
Importantly, Chicago is gradually phasing out the tipped minimum wage with an 8% increase annually starting July 1, 2024. By July 1, 2028, the tipped minimum wage will be eliminated, requiring employers to pay tipped servers the full minimum wage regardless of tips.
Employers must stay updated on these changes to ensure compliance and communicate wage structures clearly to new hires.
To further support your hiring process and ensure wage compliance, explore our hiring costs for restaurants and hospitality guide.
The Fastest Growing
Restaurant & Hospitality Job Platform
Looking for top paid jobs? Or Hiring for your business?
Compensation Structure for Servers in Chicago
In addition to minimum wages, servers’ total compensation typically includes base pay plus tips, which significantly impact their earnings.
Base Wages for Servers
The average base wage for Servers in Chicago is around $17.32 per hour, which is above the general minimum wage, reflecting the competitive labor market and experience levels.
For more details on competitive pay, see our career overview and Server salary guide.
Tips and Overall Earnings
In this video, a Chicago server shares how much she made in tips during a shift, offering a real-world example of how earnings can vary based on role, venue and tipping patterns.
Tips can drastically increase a server’s income, with typical daily tip earnings averaging about $200. This elevates total hourly wages to between $28 and $48 per hour.
This compensation results in an annual income ranging approximately from $40,000 to $70,000, depending on factors like shifts worked and tipping consistency.
Understanding this compensation range helps employers offer competitive packages to attract skilled servers.
Effective Interview Tips for Hiring Servers in Chicago
To select the best candidates, focus the interview process on qualities critical to server success and compliance with local regulations.
1. Evaluate Experience
Ask about previous roles in similar dining environments to assess adaptability and familiarity with typical service scenarios.
For guidance on evaluating applicants, check out our Server interview questions page.
2. Assess Customer Service Skills
Gauge candidates’ interpersonal skills, problem-solving abilities and comfort handling pressure or difficult situations, which are vital in busy restaurants.
3. Confirm Availability
Servers often work non-standard hours, so confirming candidates’ flexibility for evenings, weekends, and holidays is essential to meet scheduling needs.
4. Check Knowledge of Local Wage Laws
Ensure candidates understand Chicago’s wage regulations and tipping norms, which can help prevent misunderstandings and foster transparency.
Learn more about employer best practices in the recruitment hospitality job posting compliance article.
Best Practices for Hiring Servers in Chicago
Beyond interview questions, employers should adopt structured hiring practices to ensure fairness and legal compliance.
- Clear job descriptions: Detail wage rates, typical shifts, responsibilities, and expectations upfront.
- Verification of work eligibility: Comply with federal and state employment laws by verifying candidates’ eligibility to work.
- Provide wage notices: Inform employees about the current minimum wage, tip credit details and upcoming changes due to the phased-out tipped wage.
- Onboarding and training: Offer proper onboarding that includes training on customer service and wage policy awareness.
Creating clear roles can be supported by using our restaurant job description template for quick and effective results.
Additional Resources for Employers Hiring Servers in Chicago
Employers should consult official sources to stay current on labor laws and best practices.
- U.S. Department of Labor – Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) provides federal wage and hour regulations.
- Illinois Department of Labor offers state-specific labor law updates and resources.
- City of Chicago – Minimum Wage Information has details on municipal minimum wage rules and phased changes.
Also valuable for employers is the restaurant staff hiring spotlight, which covers essential hiring strategies.
The Fastest Growing
Restaurant & Hospitality Job Platform
Looking for top paid jobs? Or Hiring for your business?
How To Hire a Server in Chicago: Conclusion
Successfully hiring servers in Chicago requires understanding the evolving wage landscape, incorporating competitive compensation and applying focused interview strategies.
By ensuring compliance with wage laws, offering attractive pay, including tips, and rigorously assessing candidates’ experience and skills, employers can build a strong front-of-house team that delivers excellent service.
For further insights on managing your front-of-house team, see our guide on managing Servers in a restaurant.
Loading comments...