In the United States, as well as other countries, service from your bartenders, servers and other service workers is normally compensated with tips. However, in recent years more and more businesses where tipping hasn’t been usually expected, have adopted the practice.
As more and more business are swinging around the iPads requesting tips, USA TODAY Blueprint conducted an online survey which examined tipping culture in the U.S.
According to the study, Tennessee ranked among the worst states for tipping. On average, Tennessee tips 15%. But which state and age group tips the best? Additionally, how should we tip? And why do we do it?
More:More places are asking for tips, and it’s tiring Americans out
Which states tip the best?
According to USA Today the most generous tippers can be found in the East and West coasts, the following states tip an average of 20%.
- California
- Missouri
- Florida
- Arizona
- Rhode Island
- Washington
- Colorado
- Pennsylvania
- Connecticut
- Georgia
Which states tip the least?
In the United States, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, with tipped employees making $2.13 per hour. While other states set higher amounts for tipped workers, Tennessee, Mississippi, South Carolina and Utah do not.
- Illinois
- Mississippi
- South Carolina
- New Mexico
- Tennessee
- Oklahoma
- Wisconsin
- North Dakota
- West Virginia
- Utah
Other key findings
The study found that tipping percentages in the United States ranged from 14% in Illinois to 23% in California, with the most generous tippers being millenials and the silent generation, the group of adults preceding boomers, tipping the least.
Tipping habits also depend on the annual income of consumers. Unsurprisingly, the more a person makes, the more they tip. The study found that those who make less than $30,000 annually tip 15%, while those who makes more $120,000 tip 20%.
Methodology
The data in this study was collected from Sept. 11 to Sept. 25, 2023 and was commissioned by USA TODAY Blueprint and conducted by market research company, OnePoll.
The online survey was taken by 100 people per state across the country, for a total of 5,000.
What is the appropriate amount to tip?
According to nerdwallet.com, it is customary and considered good etiquette to tip servers, bartenders, drivers, tattoo artists, and beauticians anywhere from 15% to 20% of the total bill.
For example, if you went out to dinner and your bill was $265.00, you would identify 10% of that amount and double it. In order to do this you would move the decimal one spot to the left which is $26. $26 doubled would be $52.
Tips for other service workers, like baristas and food preparers vary. Although they may not always be necessary, they are always appreciated.
Hotel housekeepers may be tipped about $4 or $5 a night. Bellhops may be tipped depending on the amount of luggage being carried, which may be $2 for the first bag and $1 for each additional bag.
Where does tipping culture stem from? Why do we tip?
According to Time, tipping in the United States dates back to the oppressive, post Civil War era, when recently freed slaves worked in unpaid service positions. Instead of receiving a salary, they worked for tips.
“These industries demanded the right to basically continue slavery with a $0 wage and tip,” said Saru Jayaraman, co-founder and president of Restaurant Opportunities Centers United.
During the reconstruction era, many states disapproved of the practice and even abolished it altogether. But even amid pushback, tipping became increasingly popular in the South and eventually spread to the rest of the country. By the 1920s, much of the laws which had outlawed the practice had been repealed or deemed unconstitutional.
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service for The Tennessean. Contact her at [email protected] or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @_leyvadiana
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