How Much Does the Average Casino Dealer Make?

How much does the average casino dealer make in salary and tips?

The short answer is that if you walked into every casino in the country and asked all the dealers what they make, you’d probably hear around $45,000 to $50,000 per year in paychecks and tips.

However, as in any profession, there can be quite a range.

The average base salary is rather modest, in the $20,000-$30,000 range, given that a significant portion of their earnings comes from tips. Depending on the casino and the state it's in, it can be as low as minimum wage. Some states allow casinos to pay less than minimum if they're tipped.

But it can also go as high as $100,000 or $120,000. From what we understand, the highest-paid dealers aren't, in fact, working at the big casinos in Las Vegas, but the big tribal casinos in southern California and the Phoenix area in Arizona. At these types of places, dealers typically keep their own tips and they work very hard for them.

Dealers earning "second-tier" incomes, in the $70k-$90k range, work at the marquee Strip casinos. Here, too, the average varies, depending on the days of the week and shifts they work. They all split their tokes over a 24-hour period, so it's the luck of the draw whether they're on the floor on a day when the George leaves $50,000 for the dealers of an evening.

Those at the non-high-roller joints are making more in the $50,000-$60,000 range. The average off-Strip dealer makes $35k-$45k. Dealers outside of Vegas fall somewhere in the middle, about $45k-$55k.

It also depends on how dealers receive their toke money. Most pool their tips, but there are a lot of different types of pools.

In some, dealers split tips over a seven-day period and get a cash envelope at the end of the week, based on how many hours they worked. At others, they receive cash envelopes every day after a 24-hour split. This is the most common pool, but these days, the casino generally holds the tip money and adds it to the dealers’ paychecks. That way it can be taxed most easily.

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Tim Soldan Nov-01-2024

No taxes on tips

Both presidential candidates are saying they won't take taxes on tips but my personal opinion is that it will be next to impossible to change the tax code to enact this. And I do not believe the president even has the power to do this. As they say it would take an act of congress, and I think there are too many tax revenue hungry senators and congressmen to ever make this happen.

Dave Nov-01-2024

SO CAL DEALERS

When I worked at Barona 9 years ago, they kept up with the minimum wage even though they didn't have to. So basically about 15 an hour now and tips (if they are still going about the same) worked out to about 16-19 an hour, depending on how good the week goes. Thing is, there is a thing called an Early out and almost everybody signs it when they get there. it puts you on a list where when things get slow, they allow you to leave first. I would put myself on the last out list and also pick up an extra day here and there. I was making bank.

IPA Noah Nov-01-2024

Honestly

Why shouldn't taxes be tipped? It's income. No taxes on tips could end up with a lot more of us being forced to work for tips. How about employers just start paying a fair wage?

Matthew Harris Nov-01-2024

Former Dealer

I worked as a casino dealer in Aurora, IL in 2012. Rate was $4.95/hr plus tips. Average was around $18-$22 an hour. FT was around $50k annual wage.

PaulaNH Nov-01-2024

Taxes on tips

I think the entire tax code needs to be thrown out and a flat tax with a certain amount as a deductible for everyone. So as not to veer too far from the subject , I think it is also a horrible rule that dealers or any tip based personnel have to pool tips.

Bob Nelson Nov-01-2024

Pooling tips

As a retired person that works part time in a tipped position IMO pooling the tips is the only thing that makes sense for us.  We work as a team and one person may be taking orders, another pouring, and someone else cleaning up tables or glasses.  All essential parts of the job as well as opening and closing which are thankless but also totally necessary.  The other main thing is a person may have a tab open for several hours and be served by several different people even across shifts.  Basically impossible to handle tips any other way than pooling and be fair.  I also think not taxing tips is a strange idea, tips are part of the earnings just like anyone’s wages or salary.

Fumb Duck Nov-01-2024

Political BS

When either candidates promises no tax on tips, take it with a pound of salt. That is just the art of political pandering. They might as well promise to repeal the law of gravity.

O2bnVegas Nov-01-2024

other considerations

After asking a lot of dealers over the years, it seems no casinos provide for health insurance after retirement.  Individual health insurance is very expensive.  Are they offered retirement savings plan?  Just recalling when I was working, staff would job hop for a dollar or two more an hour, yet fail to take into consideration what happens after retirement.  Young people often don't think about/save for retirement in some way.  

Candy

Raymond Nov-01-2024

Paula

The problem with a "flat tax" is that the question becomes WHAT gets taxed.  Ay, there's the rub.  And when you do the math honestly, you realize that the primary beneficiaries of a "flat tax" are the rich and those whose taxes go up the most are...the poor.  Those who pay little or nothing right now would suddenly be taxed, all in the name of equality.

PaulaNH Nov-02-2024

Tips raymond

Well, my thinking on that was a large portion say tha first $40000 is exempt for taxing purposes , which is above the poverty line( t think) and then tax just income. Something has to be done to our tax code. It’s long, ridiculous and blatantly unfair. And yes, the talk of no tax on tips is hooey. Ymmv

Question of the Day - 01 November 2024

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