Standard tip-out percentages by role
There is no law setting tip-out percentages — every house writes its own policy. These are the ranges common in full-service restaurants.
| Role | Typical tip-out |
| Busser | 1–3% of sales, or 5–10% of tips |
| Bartender | 5–10% of bar sales, or 1–2% of total sales |
| Food runner | 1–2% of sales, or 3–7% of tips |
| Host / hostess | 0–2% of sales (many houses: none) |
| Expo | 0.5–1.5% of sales, often shared with runners |
| Total typical tip-out | 3–8% of sales ≈ 15–30% of tips |
Ranges reflect common full-service restaurant practice in the US; fine dining, fast casual, and bar-forward concepts all skew differently. Your house policy controls.
Percent of sales vs. percent of tips
Percent of sales calculates the tip-out from your sales, so the amount owed is the same whether a table tipped well or left nothing. It is predictable for support staff and can be audited from the POS.
Percent of tips calculates it from the tips actually received, so the tip-out falls when tips fall. Support-staff earnings then vary with the server's night.
The two bases are not directly comparable: a sales-based tip-out of 3–8% of sales works out to roughly 15–30% of tips for a server whose tables average 20% gratuities.
What a house policy usually states
A written tip-out policy typically states the exact percentages, what they are calculated on (sales or tips, total or category), and how they are paid — through payroll or a documented nightly settlement.
One rule is not up to the house: federal law bars managers and supervisors from taking any share of tips. See the tip pooling rules for your state and who can be in a tip pool.
Run your own shift through the tip-out calculator to see what each percentage comes to in dollars.
Tip-out percentage FAQs
What is a normal tip-out percentage for a busser?
Bussers typically receive 1–3% of a server's total sales, or 5–10% of the server's tips. Busy, high-turnover restaurants where bussers genuinely speed up seating tend toward the high end.
How much should a server tip out the bartender?
The most common structures are 5–10% of bar or drink sales, or 1–2% of total sales. Houses with heavy cocktail programs lean higher; beer-and-wine-only spots lean lower.
Is tip-out based on sales or on tips?
Both systems exist. Percent-of-sales is more common in full-service restaurants and is predictable for support staff, but a server who receives no tip on a large table still owes the tip-out. Percent-of-tips keeps incentives aligned, but support-staff earnings vary with the server's night.