Diner's guide to working conditions of American restaurants

With over 10 million workers nationwide, the U.S. restaurant industry is one 

of the largest and fastest-growing sectors of the American economy, even 

during the current economic crisis. Unfortunately, despite the industry’s 

growth, restaurant workers suffer under poverty wages and poor working 

conditions. In particular, the industry suffers from:

1 LOW WAGES With a federal minimum wage of $2.13 for tipped workers 

and $7.25 for non-tipped workers, the median wage for restaurant workers 

is $8.90, just below the poverty line for a family of three. This means that 

more than half of all restaurant workers nationwide earn less than the 

federal poverty line.

2 NO PAID SICK LEAVE 90% of the more than 4,300 restaurant workers 

surveyed by the Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC) report not having 

paid sick leave, and two-thirds report cooking, preparing, and serving food 

while sick, making sick leave for restaurant workers not only a worker rights 

issue but a pressing concern in public health! 

3 OCCUPATIONAL SEGREGATION Women, immigrants, and people 

of color hold lower-paying positions in the industry, and do not have many 

opportunities to move up the ladder. Among the 4,300 workers surveyed, 

we found a $4 wage gap between white workers and workers of color, and 

73% reported not receiving regular promotions on the job.