How Much Each US State Tips, from Best to Worst

US Tippers

When it comes to leaving a tip, we all have different tactics. Some go for 20% while others hold true to 15% of the bill. There’s also the used chewing gum tactic. No matter your style, here’s how you compare to your state’s average tipping amount.

The folks over at Quartz analyzed data from millions of Square transactions (a popular payment service), and they found Alaska (17%), Arkansas (16.9%) and North Carolina (16.7%) gave servers the highest tips. Which clocked in as the stingiest states? South Dakota (15.3%), Hawaii (15.1%) and Delaware (14%). According to these findings, the national average is about 16.1%.

Perhaps what’s most surprising is the percentage of customers who actually do tip. See where your state ranks:

US Tippers

If you lean toward the skimpy side of tipping, might we suggest brushing up on the do’s and don’ts of dining etiquette?

Picthx Quartz



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Cameron is a Philadelphia native who is borderline obsessed with chocolate, coffee and sushi. She writes for TheFW and The Daily Meal, and making a mean chocolate chip cookie is her specialty. She also tries pizza everywhere she travels in hopes someday she'll become one of those cool pizza snobs.



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  • FoodYeast

    Wow, we Californians suck… or does it mean we have a higher standard of what food service should be?

  • BartenderGuy

    I’ve worked in food service for almost 10 years, and I have trouble accepting the data regarding the percentage of customers that tip. Sure, I’ve had my share of not-good tips, but I’d say the percentage is closer to 85% across the board.

    • willy

      probably. this is bs

  • Khow

    Uh uh, I don’t tip. No, I don’t believe in it. … Don’t give me that, if she don’t make enough money she can quit. … I don’t tip because society says I have to. All right, I mean I’ll tip if someone really deserves a tipping, if they really put forth the effort, I’ll give them something extra, but I mean this tipping automatically, it’s for the birds. I mean as far as I’m concerned they’re just doing their job. … She was okay. She wasn’t anything special. … Look I ordered coffee all right? Now we’ve been here a long fuckin’ time, she’s only filled my cup three times. When I order coffee I want it filled six times. … The words “too fuckin’ busy” shouldn’t be in a waitress’ vocabulary. … Jesus Christ, these ladies aren’t starving to death. They make minimum wage. I used to work minimum wage and when I did I wasn’t lucky enough to have a job that society deemed tip worthy. … You know what this is? It’s the world’s smallest violin playing just for the waitresses. … So is working at McDonald’s but you don’t feel the need to tip them do you? Well why not? They’re serving you food. But no, society says don’t tip these guys over here, but tip these guys over here. That’s bullshit. … Fuck all that. … I mean I’m very sorry the government taxes their tips. That’s fucked up. That ain’t my fault. I mean it would appear that waitresses are one of the many groups the government fucks in the ass on a regular basis. I mean show a piece of paper that says the government shouldn’t do that, I’ll sign it, put it to a vote, I’ll vote for it, but what I won’t do is play ball. And this non-college bullshit I got two words for that: learn to fucking type, ’cause if you’re expecting me to help out with the rent you’re in for a big fucking surprise.

    • Uncle Joe

      Cough up a buck you cheap bastard. I paid for your breakfast.

    • Anonymous

      Servers don’t get paid minimum wage you stupid ignorant fuck wad. Most servers get pad a whole $2.13 an hour, just barley enough to cover their taxes, don’t believe me, look it up dip shit. Its been that way for almost 20 years. Servers rely solely on your gratuity and generosity for their income. If a server is horrible, I mean absolutely dreadful, you don’t tip and you talk to the manager. But otherwise you tip. They sometimes help prepare your food, bring it to you, fill your soda, clean up after you and your kids, so you don’t have to do that shit at home. I was a server for 6 years in college, and it’s people like you that make me glad I am no longer in that industry. People like you are generally unpleasant people outside of the restaurant as well, I know people like you. You are some of the worst kind of people. So do us all a favor stick with Burger King and McD’s for your “dining out” and eat a dick.

    • willy

      ur a fucking scumbag. uve probably already been paralayzed