text: how much tips do waitresses get in a night? i hear the average is around 140.  how long is the shift, 4 hours? or 8 hours? it depends on a lot of factors, most important of which is the establishment. in more expensive restaurants, where the prices of food are higher, tips will be greater although there may be lower turnover of tables. and good servers make more money that poor servers. and shifts can vary, too. some restaurants are only open for a few hours for lunch and dinner; others are open all day, so shifts would generally be longer.