Waitstaff positions in the United States aren't necessarily hard to find. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates there are more than 2.3 million positions across the country. Unlike servers throughout Europe who do not accept gratuity for their work, waiters and waitresses in the U.S. are primarily compensated by the tips they receive.

Employees in the U.S. who are considered "tipped workers," those who are paid at least $30 or more in gratuity a month, are not guaranteed the same minimum wage rates that are owed to other hourly staff members. Employers can pay tipped workers $2.13 for their time and attendance instead of the $7.25 standard.

This compensation break may make it easier for restaurant owners to hire additional staff members, but they must be careful to ensure they are also complying with state labor laws that sometimes differ from those in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

The following is a list of states that require restaurant owners to pay their workers more than $2.13 per hour: Alaska ($7.75 per hour), California ($8), Minnesota ($6.15 or $5.25, depending on the size of the business), Montana ($7.65 of $4, depending on total sales), Nevada ($8.25 for employees without health insurance benefits and $7.25 per hour for those with health insurance benefits), Oregon ($8.80) and Washington ($9.04).

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