How Much to Tip in the US
For sit-down restaurant service in the United States, 18% to 20% of the pre-tax bill is the normal range in 2026. Tip 15% for service that was merely adequate, and 25% when it was genuinely excellent. On a 00 bill that is 8 to $20, and every extra percentage point costs one dollar.
Tipping is not optional in the same way it is in most of Europe. Tipped employees in many states are paid a lower cash minimum wage, currently as low as $2.13 an hour federally, and the tip makes up the difference. That is the reason the expected percentage in the US is roughly double what it is in the UK or France.
Tip Chart for Common Bill Amounts
The tip amount only, not the total. Add it to the bill to get what you pay.
| Bill | 15% | 18% | 20% | 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $20 | $3.00 | $3.60 | $4.00 | $5.00 |
| $30 | $4.50 | $5.40 | $6.00 | $7.50 |
| $40 | $6.00 | $7.20 | $8.00 | 0.00 |
| $50 | $7.50 | $9.00 | 0.00 | 2.50 |
| $75 | 1.25 | 3.50 | 5.00 | 8.75 |
| 00 | 5.00 | 8.00 | $20.00 | $25.00 |
| 50 | $22.50 | $27.00 | $30.00 | $37.50 |
| $200 | $30.00 | $36.00 | $40.00 | $50.00 |
| $300 | $45.00 | $54.00 | $60.00 | $75.00 |
What to Tip for Every Service
Restaurants are only part of it. These are the ranges most Americans actually use.
| Service | Customary tip | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sit-down restaurant | 18% to 20% | 25% for exceptional service |
| Bartender | to $2 per drink | Or 15% to 20% on a running tab |
| Coffee counter | , or 10% to 15% | Optional for a plain drip coffee |
| Food delivery | 15% to 20% | $3 to $5 minimum, more in bad weather |
| Pizza delivery | $3 to $5 | Delivery fee rarely reaches the driver |
| Taxi or rideshare | 15% to 20% | Round up on short trips |
| Hair salon or barber | 15% to 20% | Tip each person who worked on you |
| Spa or massage | 15% to 20% | On the pre-discount price |
| Hotel housekeeping | $2 to $5 per night | Leave it daily, staff rotate |
| Bellhop | $2 to $3 per bag | $5 minimum for a single small bag |
| Valet parking | $2 to $5 | On retrieval, not on drop-off |
| Movers | $20 to $40 per mover | For a full day, more for stairs |
| Tour guide | 10% to 20% | Per person on group tours |
| Takeout | 0% to 10% | Not expected, appreciated on large orders |
How to Work Out a Tip in Your Head
You do not need the calculator for this. Every common percentage is built from 10%.
- Find 10%. Move the decimal point one place to the left. A $74.50 bill gives $7.45.
- Halve it to get 5%. Half of $7.45 is about $3.72.
- Add or double. 15% is 10% plus 5%, so 1.17. 20% is 10% doubled, so 4.90. 25% is 20% plus 5%, so 8.62.
- Round up. Nobody leaves 1.17. Round to 2 and the arithmetic stops mattering.
For 18%, take 20% and subtract a tenth of it. On $74.50 that is 4.90 minus .49, so about 3.40.
Tax, Discounts and Large Parties
Pre-tax or post-tax
Tip on the pre-tax subtotal. That is the traditional US convention and what this calculator uses by default. Tipping on the post-tax total is more generous, not more correct. On a 00 bill with 8% sales tax the difference between the two is .60 at 20%.
Coupons, comps and happy hour
Tip on what the bill would have been before the discount. The server did the same work for a $60 meal whether you paid $60 or $30 with a voucher. If a manager comps a dish because something went wrong, still tip on the original amount.
Automatic gratuity
Most US restaurants add an automatic gratuity of 18% to 20% for parties of six or more, and it is usually printed near the bottom of the bill as "gratuity", "service charge" or "auto-grat". Read the bill before you add anything. Paying it twice is the single most common tipping mistake, and on a large party it is expensive.
Three Mistakes Worth Avoiding
Tipping on top of a service charge
A line labelled service charge is usually already the tip. Adding 20% on top means you paid close to 40%.
Splitting the tip but not the tax
When a group splits a bill, split the full total including tax and tip, not the food subtotal. Otherwise whoever pays the card is quietly covering the difference.
Tipping the percentage the card terminal suggests
Many terminals calculate their suggested percentages on the post-tax total, and some start at 22%. The suggestion is a default, not a rule. Use the custom amount field.