This West Coast State Ranks Lowest For Tipping Yet Again - Tasting Table

"In 2025, the average tip nationwide at full-service restaurants in America was 19.2%, while quick service saw a slightly lower rate of 15.8%. The Golden State, however, only averaged 17.6% at full-service restaurants, and secured an impressive national low for overall tips at 17.2%."

"On the other end of the tipping spectrum, just like last year's data on the best and worst tippers, Delaware was the most generous. The state averaged a tipping rate of 21.8%, boosted by an unusually higher quick-service tipping rate of 18.2%."

"Tipping rates are influenced by what customers know servers are already making. America's baffling tangle of tipped minimum wage laws also means there are three different systems for ensuring service workers' pay. The federal tipped minimum wage is only $2.13 per hour."

Restaurant and ordering platform data reveals significant regional variations in tipping behavior across the United States. The national average tip rate at full-service restaurants is 19.2%, while quick-service establishments average 15.8%. California consistently ranks lowest with 17.6% at full-service restaurants and 17.2% overall, followed by Washington state at 17.6%. Delaware leads with the highest tipping rate at 21.8%, including an unusually high quick-service rate of 18.2%. These variations correlate with state minimum wage laws for tipped workers, which differ significantly across states. The federal tipped minimum wage remains $2.13 per hour, creating three different payment systems for service workers nationwide.

Read at Tasting Table