Jun 13, 2025 - News
Florida restaurant tips among lowest in U.S.
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Floridians aren't the worst tippers in the country — but just barely.
State of play: Tips averaged 18.2% in the first quarter of this year, per Toast's latest restaurant trends report.
- That's tied with Nevada for the third-lowest in the U.S., followed by Washington (17.8%) and California (17.3%). The highest was Delaware, at 22.1%.
The big picture: Average nationwide tips at full-service restaurants rose from 19.3% in Q4 2024 to 19.4% in Q1 2025, according to Toast.
- "This is down from a pandemic high of 19.9%, but closer to what Toast observed in 2018 and 2019," per the report.
- Tips at quick-service joints held steady at 15.8%.
How it works: That's based on data from restaurants using Toast; cash tips aren't included.
What's next: "No tax on tips" proposals have been working their way through Congress, and could wind up on President Trump's desk as part of a major spending package.
- Exempting tips from federal taxes was a major Trump campaign promise, as Axios' Emily Peck reports, meant to appeal to working-class voters.
- Yet as MSNBC notes, many tipped workers — like the wait staff at your local greasy spoon — already pay "little or no federal income tax" because they have relatively low annual income.