Aaliyah Cortez, a server and bartender at a sports bar in Texas, recently posted a TikTok video of her $9.28 paycheck.

She said it was the net money she earned for working over 70 hours, not including tips.

In the clip, Cortez stressed the importance of tipping people in the service industry.

The video, which has received nearly 100,000 likes, is opening up a broader discussion online about the realities of working in the service industry.

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A bartender and server named Aaliyah Cortez is opening up a discussion about the realities of working in the service industry thanks to a TikTok video of her paycheck that she uploaded on January 28.

Cortez's video has since received nearly 100,000 likes and thousands of comments on the platform.

In the clip, Cortez zooms in on her most recent paycheck from a sports bar in Austin, Texas, for a two-week period to reveal a total of $9.28.

"So this is why you should always tip your bartenders, servers, anyone who waits on you or provides a service for you, because this is my hourly for two weeks," she said in the video.

She said that almost 71 hours of work at her salary of $2.13 an hour should amount to about $150, but with Social Security, Medicare, and federal income tax taken out, her total pay came out to $9.28.

"Of course I got tips," she added, "but this is what I got for my hourly."

A bartender serving beer. Adam Berry/Getty

Cortez told BuzzFeed that she decided to post the video to reveal how the service industry operates. Because laws in some parts of the US allow for tipped employees to be paid as little as $2.13 an hour as long as their tips bring them to the federal minimum wage ($7.25 an hour) — also known as a "tip credit" — take-home pay is low. It's a problem experts have said should be fixed by raising wages across the board. And seven states don't allow a tip credit.

"It's not right that we have to do this, but I wanted to shed some light on the issue and inform the public about the importance of tipping," Cortez told BuzzFeed.

While she said she liked her job and felt fortunate to receive tips, she hopes for change in the industry.

"I just wish we were all being paid adequately and consistently," she said, adding that she relies solely on the "generosity" of her customers.

Cortez's story has since made its way to Twitter, where outraged people have called for change.

"And this is why federal laws should not allow people in the food industry to be paid below federal minimum wage," on Twitter user wrote.

"This is scary ridiculous," another said.

Both critics and supporters have flooded the comments section of the original video — and Cortez hasn't held back in engaging with them.

"They get a bunch of tips though," one TikTok user commented. "Not if people aren't tipping," Cortez replied.

Ultimately, Cortez said she was grateful for her viral fame and the opportunity to share her story.

"I owe it to you guys," she said in a TikTok video uploaded on Wednesday, adding: "Thank you for, like, catapulting this video. Thank you. This is the craziest thing that has ever happened."

Cortez did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.