The general rule for tipping is at least 15% even if they hit on your daughter and spit in your food . . . 20% or more for “above average” service.
A new poll on the “State of Tipping in the U.S.” looked at why we tip . . . how much we tip . . . and how DISGRUNTLED we are about it.
Here are a few quick stats on America’s tipping habits in 2025 . . .
1. The average tip is now 18.9%. Men tip a little more, 19.1%. Women a little less, 18.6%.
2. Millennials are the biggest tippers at 19.5%. Gen Z is next at 19.3 . . . Gen X, 18.2 . . . and Boomers, 16.4%.
3. The highest-tipping state is Delaware at just over 21%. Only three other states tip more than 20%: Indiana, West Virginia, and New Hampshire.
4. California leaves the worst tips at around 17%. But servers in California make $16.50 an hour compared to $2.23 in Delaware. (The federal minimum wage for tipped employees is $2.13 an hour.)
5. What makes us tip more or less? “Quality of service” was the top answer, followed by “how much will it cost me” . . . “social pressure” . . . and knowing how much the server makes an hour.
6. 79% of us always or usually leave a tip at sit-down places. 63% said the same about fast-food joints . . . 55% usually tip delivery drivers . . . and 23% even tip when picking up takeout.
7. Has tipping gotten out of control in the past five years? 71% say yes, it’s “expected too often, and the suggested tips are too high.” Only 9% think the current state of tipping is ideal.
8. 7% of Americans never tip. You could be the best waiter in the world. They’re still drawing a line on that receipt.