Tip Out CalcMost tip-out policies split your share between several support roles, and each role is usually set up a little differently. The bar is often tied to drink sales, bussers to how busy your section was, and hosts to a small flat share. This guide walks through the roles you are most likely to tip out, why they get a share, and the ranges that are common in many restaurants. Use it to understand your own policy or as a starting point if you are helping set one up.
Quick overview of typical ranges
These are common starting points, not standards. Many restaurants use only some of these roles, and the numbers are usually set so the total stays reasonable for servers.
| Role | Common % of server tips | Common % of sales |
|---|---|---|
| Bar / bartender | about 5–10% | about 1–2% of alcohol sales, or less of total sales |
| Bussers | about 10–20% | about 1–2% of food or total sales |
| Hosts | about 2–5% | about 0.5–1% of sales |
| Food runners | about 5–10% | about 0.5–1% of sales |
| Kitchen / expo | varies widely | varies widely, where allowed |
If your restaurant uses fixed dollar amounts instead, the same logic applies: the roles that do more of the hands-on work for your tables usually get the bigger share.
Bar and bartenders
When a guest at your table orders a cocktail, the bartender makes it, but you usually collect the tip. The bar tip-out is how that work gets paid back. Because the bar's effort depends on how many drinks your tables order, many restaurants base it on alcohol or beverage sales rather than on your total tips. A table that orders a bottle of wine and several rounds will raise your bar tip-out, while a table that sticks to water will barely touch it.
If your bar tip-out is a percent of tips instead, it is often one of the larger shares, commonly somewhere around 5% to 10%. Ask whether it applies to all sales or only drinks, since that changes the amount a lot.
Bussers
Bussers clear plates, reset tables, refill water and generally keep your section moving. Faster table turns mean more guests, which means more tips, so bussers often receive one of the biggest shares. A common range is around 10% to 20% of server tips, or about 1% to 2% of sales.
When several servers share one busser, each server usually pays the same percentage, and the busser collects from everyone. If you bus your own tables on slow nights, some restaurants reduce or skip this share for that shift.
Hosts
Hosts greet guests, manage the wait list and decide how tables are seated. Good seating keeps any one server from getting slammed and keeps the dining room flowing. Host shares are usually smaller, commonly around 2% to 5% of tips, or a small flat amount per shift. Some restaurants pay hosts a higher hourly wage and give them no tip-out at all.
Food runners
Runners carry food from the kitchen to the table so it arrives hot and you can stay with your guests. In busy restaurants they make a real difference to service. A common range is around 5% to 10% of tips, or roughly half a percent to one percent of sales. In places without dedicated runners, this work is often shared by bussers or servers, and the tip-out shifts accordingly.
Kitchen and expo
The expo, or expeditor, stands at the pass, checks plates and sends food out in the right order. Some restaurants include expo or kitchen staff in the tip-out, and others do not. This role varies more than any other. In some places it is a small percent of food sales, in others a flat amount, and in many it is not part of the tip-out at all.
Rules about whether back-of-house staff can receive a share of tips can differ depending on where you work and how the restaurant pays its staff. If your restaurant includes kitchen or expo in the tip-out, it is reasonable to ask how the policy was set up.
Other roles you may see
- Barbacks sometimes receive a share from bartenders rather than from servers.
- Sommeliers may receive a percent of wine sales in restaurants with a big wine program.
- Server assistants are sometimes treated like bussers or runners for tip-out purposes.
Practical tips
- Write down each role's rate and base. "Bar 1.5% of alcohol sales" and "Busser 15% of tips" are easy to mix up at the end of a long shift.
- Watch the total, not just each share. Several small shares can add up to a large part of your tips. Add them together to see your total tip-out rate.
- Check slow-shift rules. Ask whether a role still gets a share on nights when it was not staffed or when you did the work yourself.
- Be consistent. If you are a manager setting rates, write them down and apply them the same way every shift. Clear rules prevent most disputes.
House rules vary. The ranges above describe common practice, not requirements. Every restaurant sets its own policy, and rules about tips can differ by location. This is general information, not legal or payroll advice.
Plug in your own roles. Add bar, bussers, hosts or anyone else you tip out, set a percent or a fixed amount for each, and see your take-home instantly.
Open the Tip Out Calc calculatorKeep reading
- How Much Should Servers Tip Out? A Practical Guide explains the common systems and what a typical total looks like.
- How to Calculate Tip-Out: Step-by-Step With Examples shows the math for each type of policy.
- Tip-Out Etiquette for Servers and Bartenders covers how to handle tip-outs with each role.