A Bartender Posted Her Paycheck Showing She Made Only $9.28 For 70 Hours Of Work

[question everything]

One bartender in Texas is taking on the service industry’s standard practice of paying low wages and the importance of tipping in a TikTok that shows just how small her paycheck is.

Aaliyah Cortez uploaded a video of her paycheck on the viral platform, and breaks it all down for viewers. “So this is why you should always tip your bartenders and servers, anyone who waits on you or provides a service for you” she said.

Cortez then pointed out that she worked 70 hours and that she gets paid $2.13 an hour. As if that’s not bad enough, after federal taxes, social security, and Medicare, she ended up with a paycheck of exactly $9.28. “For 70 hours of work,” she stressed.

“Of course, I got tips, but this is what I got for my hourly,” Cortez said. “This is why you tip.”

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/bartender-posted-her-paycheck-showing-201300040.html

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I admit, I don't get it. They show one line of her paycheck:

70.8 hours, at $2.13 an hour comes to $150.80.

Texas does not have state income tax and I don't think that Federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare Tax come to more than 20%, in this case, $30.00. I doubt her employer provides benefits but even if, this should not be more than $20.00

So how did it end up at $9.28?

Of course tips are important but something here does not add. To me, at least.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

1. Maybe she has to pay a portion of Heath insurance?

[question everything]

2. As I commented. I doubt that bar tenders get this but even if

I don't think it would be more than $20. Still not enough to get to $9.28.

The only explanation may be that a court order garnishes a large, very large part of her payment for... something.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

3. My husband used to work for a small engineering firm with less than 50 employees

The owners son had leukemia. They had health insurance bit my husband had to pay approx. $1500 a month as his portion this was when W was President.

Fortunately he works for a larger company now, and his cost for health insurance is much, much less.

[question everything]

5. That's a lot. I just think that if this were the case, it would have been part of the story

I don't "tiktok" - whatever this is - so there may have been more comments.

[msongs]

4. one might look for a better job nt

[Sucha NastyWoman]

7. In any case, it is criminal that anyone can get away with paying less than minimum wage

Even if they do get tips

[htuttle]

9. Who needs bartenders, anyway?

Her hourly pay is about average for bartending. That's what they're all making, aside from tips.

[blueinredohio]

13. That would be my first thought.

[Midnightwalk]

6. Wonder if they withhold based on tips

Either actual or estimated.

[progree]

11. She has to pay taxes on ALL her income -- either through withholding or quarterly estimated payments

Or pay interest and penalties.

Assuming she does the former, and her tips are several times higher than the $2.13 base pay, yeah, I can see that being quite a deduction from her paycheck. (We already know she makes at least the $7.25 minimum wage including tips, since by law she has to be paid that -- meaning she makes at least $5.12 in tips.)

[progree]

8. The employee's share of Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) totals 7.65%

Maybe she has a huge withholding for income tax based on what she estimates total income will be including tips.

Bartenders make a ton of money on tips on a per-hour basis. I pity the kitchen workers that don't get tips.

I heard a bartender at a very dubious neighborhood dive bar say he makes about $400 on Thursday nights. That was about 10 years ago. Another bartender at the same bar, I know he does quite well.

Anyway, I'm totally not buying this.

[JDC]

10. She has to claim her tips as income. The credit cards tips are documented

So minimally she has to claim those and is taxed on that income. It comes out of her base pay. Cash tips are different matter...


I think the way we handle servers'/bartenders' pay is ridiculous, but to be honest, l she needs to also state how much she made in tips total so we can all understand how much money she really took home. I'd guess that if it is a busy place and she is decent, she made a decent amount, much of which was likely cash and went tax-free.

Note: I was in the hospitality biz for 10 years. I didn't get rich, but I didn't starve.

[bitterross]

12. I believe she gets taxed at the minimum wage rate

I'm not 100% sure, but I believe her taxes/Medicare/SS are all the calculated at the minimum wage rate. Not at her actual hourly rate. I'm not where I can put all that in a spreadsheet right now to see if that makes it work out to what she claims. I will do that later.

[virgogal]

14. I always had extra Federal taxes taken out. Could be something like that.

[bottomofthehill]

15. Worked for tips for a long time. TEFRA Act in 80's

Bars and restaurants dicclose 8 % of their total ring to the IRS and allocate it to the bar, floor and Assist staff ( bar back, busboy). Federal, state, and social security are withheld. Most of the check I got were void as I was making more in tips than could be with held from the salary (.77) when I started waiting tables. It was actually easier with the ring reported, before that, I had to keep records of tips and pay a quarterly tax