>>113580this is probably not true let me just waste some electricity on this
False.
While the statement highlights two well-documented economic phenomena—that high-end tipped service workers in the U.S. can pull in surprisingly strong incomes, and that European doctors are paid significantly less than American doctors—the claim as a whole is mathematically inaccurate.
1. The Reality of U.S. Minimum Wage & Tipped Workers
The Numbers: The federal minimum wage for regular employees is $7.25 per hour (though many states have higher minimums), and the federal tipped minimum wage is $2.13 per hour. By law, if a worker's tips do not bring their total hourly earnings up to the standard minimum wage, the employer must make up the difference.
The High-End Outlier: It is true that a busy bartender or fine-dining server working in a high-end metropolitan restaurant can clear a substantial income through tips—sometimes exceeding $50,000 to $80,000+ a year. However, this represents the top tier of tipped professions, not a baseline minimum wage reality for the average worker.
2. The Reality of European Physician Salaries
The Numbers: While European doctors earn considerably less than their U.S. counterparts (who average over $300,000 a year), they are still highly compensated professionals within their respective economies.
Average salaries for fully licensed practicing physicians across Europe typically range from roughly $70,000 to over $200,000 per year depending on the country (e.g., higher in countries like Germany and the Netherlands, lower in parts of Southern or Eastern Europe) and their level of specialization.
Conclusion
Even a high-earning tipped minimum-wage worker in the U.S. making $60,000–$75,000 a year falls short of the average mid-to-high career earnings of a European doctor in countries like Germany, France, or the UK, where specialists routinely clear well past that baseline.
