US Tip Calculator

The current US norm for sit-down restaurant service is 18-20% on the pre-tax bill, with 15% as the low end and 22-25% reserved for exceptional service or high-end dining. Tipping creep over the past decade has shifted what was once a 15-18% norm closer to 20%. Card terminals now routinely suggest 18%, 22%, and 25% as the default options, which has nudged the average tip noticeably upward.

Outside restaurants the rules differ. Bartenders: $1-2 per drink or 15-20% on a tab. Taxi/rideshare: 10-15%. Food delivery: 10-15% with a $3 minimum. Hotel housekeeping: $2-5 per night left on the pillow. Tour guides: $5-20 per person depending on length. Counter service for takeaway coffee: $1 or rounding up is fine; the 15% prompt on a tablet is excessive.

Restaurants are increasingly adding 'service charges' (3-20%) directly to the bill. These are not tips - they go to the restaurant, not the server, unless explicitly stated. If a service charge is added, you do not need to tip on top, though many guests still leave $5-10 cash for the server directly. Always read the small print on the bill.

Auto-gratuity (typically 18-20%) is added by some restaurants for parties of 6+. This is technically the tip and does go to staff, though policies vary. The IRS treats auto-gratuity as service charges for tax purposes, which actually changes how it's withheld from the server's pay. As a customer, you don't need to add additional tip on top of auto-gratuity.

When splitting evenly, calculate the tip on the full bill, then divide. Splitting by item is more common - the bill includes individual subtotals, calculate tip on the whole bill amount, and split the tip proportionally. Most card terminals now handle splitting and tipping in one flow.

When you're paying a round number for a group ('cover everyone with a $200 bill'), check whether tip was included before adding more. Etiquette: if you organised the meal and pre-paid, mentioning to the group that tip was included prevents awkward double-tipping. Use the [Bill Split Calculator](/bill-split-calculator) for groups with mixed orders.

The federal tipped minimum wage is $2.13/hour; tips are expected to bring earnings up to at least the regular minimum ($7.25 federal, often higher locally). Seven states (California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada) require full minimum wage with tips on top - structurally different from the federal model.

Tipping less than 15% is widely considered a statement about service. Tipping zero on poor service is acceptable but increasingly fraught - some states are working to eliminate the tipped minimum, in which case zero-tip math no longer leaves servers below baseline. The [US Income Tax Calculator](/us-income-tax-calculator) covers tax treatment of tips for service workers.