Waiters make crazy good money for what they do. I work as a cook in a restaurant making $8.50/hr and I can make about $1100 a month if I work 40 hours a week. The waiters where I work make $3.75/hr (half of minimum wage) plus tips, so it averages out to about $20 an hour, and they don't have to work nearly as hard as the kitchen staff. I never feel bad leaving a small tip at a restaurant because waiters make a lot more money than what most people think.