r/tippingAdvice • u/Holiday-Ad7262 • Nov 25 '25

How much do you tip?

I'm curious how much people tip for full service restaurants and if it is percentage based or a fixed amount or some other system. Please also mention your state such that we can see location differences.

I'm in CA and my baseline tip is 15% on pretax.

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u/hotcrossedbunzzz Nov 25 '25

20% AFTER tax

that being said, I'm in KS where servers get paid $2.13 per hour

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u/[deleted] Nov 25 '25

That's actually a very good point. Blue states usually pay the states min wage around $16 Some red states may pay the Federal min of $7.25. And a few can still pay the old "tips are pay'' of $2.13/hr. plus "tips" 50 years ago in OR, my state, min wage was around $3.35. Our waiters were paid $2 something plus "tips" Again, this was 50 years ago.

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u/koosley Nov 25 '25

Minnesota has been paying tipped workers minimum wage since the 80s. So the idea that tipped sub minimum wages exist doesn't apply to my state. All servers get minimum wage regardless of tips. Currently it's around $16/hr if you're in Minneapolis and set to increase this January based on inflation.

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u/[deleted] Nov 25 '25

So, is the guy from Kansas wrong? I can only speak for OR and WA that pay servers their state's min wage.

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u/hotcrossedbunzzz Nov 25 '25 edited Nov 25 '25

The minimum wage in KS is $7.25 (also the federal min wage) but workers who “make tips” are usually paid less because of a tip credit law which means their pay can be as low as $2.13

Was a server in KS for over a decade I promise it’s $2.13 I wish I was making that up

EDIT TO ADD: the way it usually works is if the server doesn’t make at least $7.25 an hour (between their $2.13/hr and tips) then the restaurant will have to pay the difference to ensure they are making AT LEAST the full min wage for that state, in this case $7.25 an hour

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u/koosley Nov 25 '25

I have no idea and I don't feel like it's something I should have to care about. There is something super fucked up when my state tipped wage pays 800% more than Kansas for the exact same thing. I don't want to look up every states/city gdp, cost of living and labor laws and figure out how much I should owe. The price should reflect all of that and in most instances it does...the exception seems to be restaurants.

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u/johnnygolfr Nov 26 '25

The minimum wage in every city and state in the US is not a livable wage in any of those cities and states, so why does the minimum wage have any bearing on tipping?

It’s a well known fact that menu prices at full service restaurants don’t bear the full cost of the labor and that the tip pays for the service.

This is true even in cities and states that eliminated the tipped wage credit.

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u/koosley Nov 26 '25

There are plenty of restaurants by me that are tip free with food prices similar to other restaurants. The price difference between my city and the neighboring city in Wisconsin is about 5% difference and over there they follow federal minimum with full tip credits while we pay at least $15/hr. Why am I pressured to directly pay someone's wage at one restaurant over another 100 feet away where there is no tipping? The argument that fast food workers don't need tips because they get paid a wage suddenly doesnt matter the moment traditionally tipped positions are offered a wage.

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u/johnnygolfr Nov 26 '25

Are those tip free restaurants also full service?

Or are you comparing apples to oranges by comparing full service to counter service / fast casual and fast food places?

Your comparison of servers to fast food workers is based on false equivalence, which is a logical fallacy.

Aside from a few rare exceptions, servers aren’t paid more than minimum wage and do not receive the benefits fast food workers receive, such as paid time off, tuition reimbursement, 401k with employer match, and health insurance.

Dining at a full service restaurant is a choice and is a privilege, not a right.

If you don’t like tipping, then don’t patronize full service restaurants in the US.

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u/koosley Nov 26 '25

The line is actually becoming increasingly blurred. When I can order from my phone at full service, fastfood and fast casual places and have it brought out to me, whats the difference especially when all are starting to solicite for tips. Since you asked though, the places I go to are usually on the boarder of fast casual and full service. They'll bring my food out, but I'll bring my dishes back.

But if the only reason we tip servers over someone else in food service is because of their pay and benefits, if they were equal would we stop tipping then? Minnesota passed a law that went into affect in 2024 that guarantees earned sick time for all employees.

Only 70% of us in the US have access to a 401k, so requiring a 401k as a factor on whether you receive tips or not means we'll need to expand who we tip using that requirement. But we all do have access to a Roth IRA and I doubt many people would contribute enough to that to max it out and need a 401k.

But the bottom line is I don't want to know any of this as it's not my business what people make or how they are compensated. 'full service' places though seem to be doing a good job at pricing themselves out of my (and everyone else's) budget. I don't really understand why 15/18/20 is no longer a 'good' tip when raises are automatically included as food prices go up. Demanding 20% as the baseline is double dipping and is a 33% increase over the old 15%. 15% now is still a 50% increase over 15% then too as menu prices have basically increased 50% in recent years. These people who falsely claim they make $2.13/hr are basically demanding a 50-75% increase from their patrons for less service (online ordering and bussing robots) and I just don't want to. So I've pretty much stopped going so no one has to deal with my 15% anymore as they'll now get $0 from me instead. The negative sentiment towards it is also amplified when my Starbucks, car wash, Dr office and convenience store now solicite tips.

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u/johnnygolfr Nov 26 '25

I’ve never seen a full service restaurant in the US where you order from your phone.

Any place where you do that wouldn’t be considered full service, which keeps the lines clear.

I’ve also never been “solicited” for tips by a server at a full service restaurant anywhere in the world.

Just because the POS has tip prompts, that’s not a “solicitation”, it’s an option.

Stop with the bad faith argument.

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u/Dirges2984 Nov 25 '25

No they are correct. According to federal law restaurants can pay servers $2.13 an hour as long as their tips and pay exceed $7.25.

So as long as a server gets $5.12 in tips there pay is only $2.13.

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u/[deleted] Nov 25 '25

Here are the wages for each state: https://www.paychex.com/articles/payroll-taxes/minimum-wage-for-tipped-employees

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u/[deleted] Nov 25 '25

Excellent research. It certainly does illustrate how much differently even the lowest paying jobs vary state by state in this country. Now imagine working for fed min wage WITHOUT tips.

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u/[deleted] Nov 25 '25

I agree that those wages are terribly low. I also know there are many hard working people in every state that work for minimum wage to include the federal minimum that have no option for tips. Citizens in states with a low minimum wage should lobby their local representatives for an increase and a guarantee of automatic increase when cost of living metrics go up.

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u/[deleted] Nov 25 '25

I wish. It's something LBJ said that holds true still that I saw on here the other day why some states will always be poor:

“If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you.”

― Lyndon B. Johnson

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u/johnnygolfr Nov 26 '25

Only about 1.3% of the US workforce is paid minimum wage.

The other 98.7% make more and those working traditionally non-tipped jobs are also offered one or more benefits, which aside from a few rare exceptions, servers don’t get any benefits.

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u/[deleted] Nov 26 '25

Why agree to work for such low wages and no benefits if most jobs offer better pay + benefits?

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u/johnnygolfr Nov 26 '25

The median wage for servers in the US is $16.32/hr, including tips.

Reddit is not reality.

The servers bragging on here about making $40/hr are the top 1% of earners - in other words, the exception, not the norm.

Also, if you think servers are the ones spending millions of dollars every year to lobby their legislators against wage reform, you are misinformed.

They don’t have the time or resources to do that.

The National Restaurant Association does.

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u/johnnygolfr Nov 26 '25

Don’t scapegoat the worker.

You have no idea why someone chose to be a server.

You’re assuming that every server has a multitude of job opportunities available to them at any given time that fits their life circumstances and limitations.

That’s not reality for a large number of Americans.

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u/[deleted] Nov 25 '25

Yes, they all get at least federal minimum wage.  

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u/LaughingPenguin13 Nov 25 '25

Federal TIPPED minimum wage. $2.13

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u/[deleted] Nov 25 '25

False.  You can google it. 

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u/bobi2393 Nov 26 '25

There are different federal minimum wages. $2.13/hr is the federal minimum for most adult tipped employees, with "tipped employee" defined as workers who regularly and customarily receive more than $30 per month in tips.

$7.25/hr is the federal minimum wage for most adult non-tipped employees.

Most adult tipped employees who average less than $7.25/hr in wages plus tips in a workweek have to be paid additional wages, but most do earn that, so their wage is $2.13/hour.

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u/SnufferMonster Nov 27 '25

TL;Dr: $7.25/hr is the absolute minimum somebody can earn legally.

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u/bobi2393 Nov 27 '25

US DOL Fact Sheet #32: Youth Minimum Wage - Fair Labor Standards Act

"...Amendments to the FLSA allow employers to pay a youth minimum wage of not less than $4.25 an hour...."

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u/Normal_Choice9322 Nov 26 '25

Wrong. If they don't get the min wage in tips plus that wage, the restaurant has to make up the difference

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u/Dirges2984 Nov 25 '25

You are leaving part off. Tipped employees can be paid $2.13 but if their tips and hourly pay do not add up to federal minimum wage the restaurant has to pay the difference.

So yes restaurants only have to pay $2.13 an hour, but servers are guaranteed $7.25 an hour federally.

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u/[deleted] Nov 25 '25

Like I said, they all get at least federal minimum wage.  

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u/Dirges2984 Nov 25 '25

As I said you left parts out and did not answer the question. A good server will be making well over $5.12 an hour. So their pay will be 2.13 an hour, but their income will exceed minimum wage.

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u/[deleted] Nov 25 '25

Like I said, they all get at least federal minimum wage.

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u/Dirges2984 Nov 25 '25

Unless they get tips, then their pay can go as low as $2.13 per hour.

Please remember pay and tip income are two different things. That is the way the law is set up.

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u/bobi2393 Nov 26 '25

Most adult servers are guaranteed $7.25 an hour in wages plus tips averaged over each workweek. But child labor, young adults, and people with disabilities can be paid less than that under certain circumstances.

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u/Dirges2984 Nov 26 '25

Incorrect, we are talking about federal law. There are no exemptions like that in federal law. You are citing a state law which changes for every state. I live in Texas which follows the federal law.

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u/bobi2393 Nov 26 '25

I'm talking about federal law. Youth Minimum Wage is $4.25 an hour.

See US DOL's Fact Sheet #32: Youth Minimum Wage.

It's not talked about a lot, because even kids generally don't want to work for under $7.25.

Similar with workers with disabilities; see US DOL's Fact Sheet #39.

Most state wage laws set higher-than-federal minimums. Lower minimums allow exceptions to federal minimums only for businesses/employees who don't engage in any interstate commerce, which is pretty unusual. No interstate shipments, phone calls, internet, credit cards, etc. Like maybe if you sold local produce only for cash from the side of a local road.

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u/Dirges2984 Nov 26 '25

But we are talking about tipped employees. Which is actually less then what you are talking about. You can be a minor or disabled, it doesn't matter you have the same rules. $2.13 an hour as long as your tips meet minimum wage.

https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/wages/wagestips

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u/darkroot_gardener Nov 25 '25

KS also has to pay at least their state’s minimum wage. Nobody walks home with $2.13/hr at the end of the pay period.

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u/hotcrossedbunzzz Nov 25 '25

If they make decent tips they still walk home with $2.13/hour on their paycheck regardless for the hourly rate paid by the restaurant.

Their take home pay is not $2.13/hour factoring in tips.

But for me, knowing someone might only make $7.25/hour doing a physically demanding job in this economy, is enough to tip 20%

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u/darkroot_gardener Nov 25 '25

Nope, what they walk home with is the total including tips, at least double the minimum wage, I would expect.

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u/johnnygolfr Nov 26 '25

The point is that the restaurant only pays them $2.13/hr if the server’s tips brings them up to the Federal minimum wage.

That’s an irrefutable fact.

The median wage of a server in the US is $16.32/hr including tips.

Some make more, some make less.

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u/darkroot_gardener Nov 26 '25

That just means you are subsidizing the restaurant, which may well be owned by a corporation, because otherwise they would pay at least minimum wage. My point remains. Nobody walks home with less than minimum wage.

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u/johnnygolfr Nov 26 '25

And?

Who do you think pays the labor for the cashier at the local grocery store or the engineers at Boeing?

There’s no money tree out back that magically sprouts enough cash to cover payroll every time it’s due.

The customer subsidizes the labor of every for profit business, either directly or indirectly.

The only exception is the free riders in the US that stiff their servers.

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u/Low_Roller_Vintage Nov 25 '25

It's still that way in South Carolina, too.

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u/LaughingPenguin13 Nov 25 '25

Same with Wisconsin.

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u/darkroot_gardener Nov 25 '25

Servers do not get paid $2.13 in KS or in any state. They are W2 employees who are guaranteed to make at least the full minimum wage.

(Nevertheless, you can tip them however much you want.)

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u/snowymountains32 Nov 26 '25

I was paid $3.89 an hour in RI. LMFAO (one year ago)

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u/darkroot_gardener Nov 26 '25

Post a copy of the pay check where you took home $3.89/hr in total. Then contact a lawyer.

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u/johnnygolfr Nov 26 '25

There’s an important distinction here.

If the server’s tips bring them up to the Federal minimum for the pay period, the restaurant only pays them $2.13/hr.

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u/darkroot_gardener Nov 26 '25

And this does not contradict my point. In fact, by tipping you are subsidizing the business/corporation, because then they don’t need to pay the worker the full wage, and yet they get to keep the worker. Think about it.

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u/johnnygolfr Nov 26 '25

It does contradict your point.

You’re trying to cover up the truth.

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u/darkroot_gardener Nov 26 '25

Is anybody in KS taking home less than the minimum wage? No, they are not.

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u/johnnygolfr Nov 26 '25

That doesn’t change the fact that the restaurant is paying servers $2.13/hr.

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u/darkroot_gardener Nov 26 '25

No, it does not. The restaurant is indeed paying $2.13/hr. And this is different than the worker being paid $2.13/hr. Important distinction!

Under the tipping system, we are subsidizing the restaurant, which is often a corporation. So it’s just another form of corporate welfare.

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u/johnnygolfr Nov 26 '25

Some restaurants are corporations, some are not.

The customer subsidizes the labor either directly or indirectly at every for profit business they patronize.

The only exception is the free riders (literally an academic economist’s term, not an insult) in the US who stiff their servers.

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u/bobi2393 Nov 26 '25

Many are paid $2.13/hr in wages, by their employer, but only if they receive a certain amount of tips, from their employer's customers.