How Much Should I Tip Food Service Workers?

By Cornelius Nunev


Tipping has become more of a sensitive issue in recent years because of the downturn in the economy and snail-slow recovery. How much are you expected to tip? Have higher prices and stagnant wages made tips a lesser concern than in the past? Here are a few tipping rules and suggestions.

Help deserves a tip

Diners are starting to lose tips, according to the Detroit News. In fact, one waiter in California got a note with his lack-of-tip that said, "I must cut back on discretionary spending and gratuities. I wish it didn't have to be this way for both of us."

Employees depend on tips

But chances are that waiter or waitress is struggling, too, and depends heavily on those tips to pay the bills.

Record Searchlight reports that one restaurant worker told Lennie Copeland, "If you can afford to eat out, you can afford to tip. Otherwise, stick to macaroni and cheese at home."

Copeland explained that $7.50 an hour is the federal minimum wage, but restaurant workers make much less than that. It is expected to come out to $15 to $20 an hour with tips, but about $2.13 an hour can be the actual pay.

Workers have to share tips with other people in the restaurant usually, according to Wes Babcock at Cattlemen's Steakhouse. On top of it, the Internal Revenue Service expects that employees are getting tips and needs a minimum 8 percent for tax purposes. Then there is the 12 percent rule where the IRS will take a look at a company that is reporting less than 12 percent.

Requirements for tipping

These are your tipping suggestions.

When you go to a restaurant, a 15 to 20 percent tip is expected. It used to be that 10 percent was expected, but now it is a little more.

You only need a five to 10 percent tips at a buffet, according to Tipping.org, since you are serving yourself.

If there is a tip jar at a coffee or deli counter, 50 cents to $2 is all that is required for orders totaling less than $30. Even then, only regular consumers should feel obligated to tip, according to Tipping.org.

When picking up a to-go order from a restaurant, Tipthepizzaguy says it is customary to give 10 percent to the counter person.

A minimum $3 tip when someone delivers pizza is expected, though it should be about 15 percent.