On this page
- Why do Americans tip servers at all?
- How much should you tip in the USA?
- What do Americans actually tip at a restaurant?
- Is the tip calculated before or after tax?
- What is a service charge, and do you tip on top of it?
- How do you add a tip on a card or a tip screen?
- Where is no tip expected in the USA?
- FAQ
Tipping in the USA is a custom rather than a law, but at sit-down restaurants it is close to compulsory. The standard there is 15 to 20% of the bill before sales tax. Bars, taxis, hotel housekeeping and tour guides expect smaller amounts. Shops, fast food and counter service need no tip at all, whatever the screen at the till suggests.
The ranges below come from guides for visitors and students from abroad by InterExchange and MIT, from the Emily Post Institute, and from Chase. The wage figures are the US Department of Labor's, revised on 1 July 2026, and the survey figures are Pew Research Center's.
Why do Americans tip servers at all?
Americans tip servers because tips are part of the wage in law. The federal minimum cash wage for a tipped worker is $2.13 an hour. The employer may count up to $5.12 of tips per hour towards the $7.25 federal minimum. If tips fall short, the employer has to make up the difference.
Seven states refuse that arrangement and require the full state minimum wage before any tips. Those are Alaska, California, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, where a server in Las Vegas earns at least $12 an hour before tips. Arizona sets a higher cash wage of $12.15, while Utah pays the federal $2.13. Even where the wage is higher, the custom of tipping has not gone away, so the advice below holds in every state.
How much should you tip in the USA?
How much to tip in the USA depends on the service, and only sit-down meals and bars carry a firm percentage. The table gathers the ranges the visitor guides agree on.
| Service | Usual tip | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sit-down restaurant | 15 to 20% of the bill before tax | InterExchange, MIT, Chase, Emily Post |
| Buffet | 10% | MIT |
| Bar | $1 to $2 a drink, or 15 to 20% of the tab | InterExchange, MIT |
| Taxi or rideshare | 10 to 20% of the fare | InterExchange |
| Hotel housekeeping | $2 to $3 per person a day, or at least $5 a night | Emily Post, InterExchange |
| Porter | $1 to $2 a bag | Emily Post |
| Valet parking | $2 to $5 when the car comes back | InterExchange, MIT |
| Room service | 15 to 20% before fees and tax | Emily Post |
| Tour guide | $5 to $10 a person for half a day, $10 to $20 for a full day | InterExchange |
| Hairdresser or spa | 15 to 20% | InterExchange, MIT |
| Counter service, coffee, takeaway | Optional | InterExchange |
A tip jar on a café counter, where a tip is optional rather than expected.
Housekeeping tips work best left every day with a short note, because a different person may clean the room each morning. Carry a few $1 and $5 notes for porters, valets and housekeeping, since those are the tips still paid mostly in cash.
What do Americans actually tip at a restaurant?
Americans tip less than the advice suggests. Pew Research Center surveyed 11,945 adults in August 2023. Of them, 57% said they would tip 15% or less for an average meal at a sit-down restaurant. About 12% said 18%, and about a quarter said 20% or more.
The same survey found that 92% always or often tip at a sit-down restaurant, against about a quarter for coffee and 12% at fast casual counters. Some 77% said service quality is a major factor in how much they leave. For a visitor, 18 to 20% for good service is generous and never wrong; 15% is normal for average service.
Is the tip calculated before or after tax?
The tip is calculated on the bill before sales tax by custom, and every guide in the sources says so. Sales tax in the USA is added at the till rather than included in menu prices, so the pre-tax figure is the menu total.
Card terminals do not always follow the custom. Square, a common payment system, lets each seller choose whether suggested tips apply before or after tax, so the question of tipping before or after tax has two answers at the till. A screen offering 18, 20 and 25% may be working from the total including tax. When the suggested amounts look high, enter your own figure instead.
What is a service charge, and do you tip on top of it?
A service charge is a fee the restaurant adds to the bill, and it replaces the tip rather than adding to it. The Department of Labor says plainly that a compulsory charge for service is not a tip. The IRS lists the automatic gratuity added for large parties as a service charge, which the restaurant controls and distributes.
Look for a line marked "service charge" or "gratuity" above the tip line before adding anything. Restaurants often add a service charge for larger groups, so a big table should read the bill twice. California requires restaurants that charge a service fee to show it clearly wherever prices appear, so the menu should warn you there.
How do you add a tip on a card or a tip screen?
A tip on a card is added in one of two ways, and neither is charged without your choice. With a paper slip, write the tip on the tip line, write the new total and sign. Keep the customer copy to check against your statement. The final amount can take a day or two to replace the pending charge.
With a tip screen, the terminal asks before payment and offers preset amounts plus a "No Tip" button. Square's default suggestions are $1, $2 or $3 below a $10 bill and 15, 20 or 25% above it. For Uber, the tip is added in the app after the ride, for up to 30 days, and cash is also possible.
Where is no tip expected in the USA?
No tip is expected in shops, at fast-food restaurants, for medical care or from government workers. Counter service, coffee and takeaway are optional, which is how most Americans treat them too, despite the screens that now ask.
National park rangers are federal employees, and nothing in the sources suggests tipping them. Guided tours are different. At Lower Antelope Canyon, the operator Ken's Tours says tips for its Navajo guides are always appreciated. One ticket reseller lists $3 to $5 per person as the usual amount.
Our guide to Page, Arizona covers the canyon tours, and the Southwest national parks loop shows where they fit in a trip. For the other line on every bill, see our guide to sales tax in the USA.